Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston has decided he needs a new jersey number.
The Bills kickoff their 2026 NFL regular season schedule on Sunday against the Houston Texans on the road. Hairston is slated to start across from Christian Benford in the defensive backfield but he will have a different look.
Hairston, Buffalo’s first-round pick at the 2025 NFL Draft, wore No. 31 during his first year in the league. That initial season was rocky at times and involved injuries.
Could a new number mean better fortunes? That is the hope for Hairston as he will now wear No. 1 moving forward:
New number alert. 🚨@MHairston22 will now wear No. 1. pic.twitter.com/zwdSRjYltf
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 9, 2026
Previously wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., who was cut at the end of the preseason, wore No. 1 so it became available.
The single digit is also the number Hairston used in college at the University of Kentucky.
Hairston called the change of number a confidence booster.
Hairston discussing the new number can be found in the clip below:
Max Hairston began as 31 at Kentucky and eventually switched to 1.
The #Bills CB doing the same thing in the NFL.
“It comes with confidence to know that you’re number 1.” pic.twitter.com/scc5LbhVXj
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) September 9, 2026
Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 NFL season.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills’ Maxwell Hairston changes jersey number ahead of season opener
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