BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston suffered a right LCL sprain in Tuesday's practice but avoided a major injury, with his ACL intact, a source confirmed to ESPN.
The Bills have not provided a specific timeline for Hairston's return.
Hairston's noncontact injury that cornerback Dane Jackson described as a "freak little trip-up" took place during the individual period of training camp practice at St. John Fisher University, with the cornerbacks working on a pass rush drill.
Hairston was competing with returning veteran and 2017 Bills first-round pick Tre'Davious White for the No. 2 cornerback job opposite Christian Benford, and that battle will take a pause with the rookie set to miss time. Other cornerbacks on the roster competing for roster spots include Dane Jackson and Ja'Marcus Ingram.
NFL Network first reported the severity of the injury Wednesday.
Hairston was attended to by head athletic trainer Nate Breske, who looked at the first-round pick's right knee before slowly helping him up and assisting Hairston in limping off the field. Benford and White went over to talk to Hairston before he was helped to the medical tent.
"I was upset, because that's somebody that's like a pure-hearted kid, somebody that you work with off the field so much, you put in so much time with 'em and then they fall like that, something happen to 'em," Benford said. "... You never want that to happen. You never want to see that happen. You don't even pray that on your worst enemies."
Nickel corner Taron Johnson said the team said a prayer for Hairston.
Hairston, who turns 22 on Aug. 6, did not return to the field. The Bills have an off day from camp practice Wednesday.