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Ex-Bills cornerback released by Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released former Buffalo Bills cornerback Daequan Hardy.

Buffalo selected Hardy in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and most of his tenure on the practice squad. After being released by the Bills in August of 2025, he was a free agent until he inked a deal with the Steelers in November.

Hardy signed a futures/reserve deal with Pittsburgh in January. But, after the NFL Draft, he has been released, Aaron Wilson revealed.

“Steelers waived injured Daequan Hardy,” Wilson wrote on X.

With Hardy being waived due to an injury, it’s uncertain what his health status is. Which will impact interest from other NFL teams.

Hardy played four years at Penn State and was an impact cornerback. In his senior season, he recorded 22 tackles, 7 pass defenses, 2 interceptions, and 1 sack. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.

Bills GM Had Confidence in Hardy

Although Hardy never made the Bills’ 53-man roster in his tenure, general manager Brandon Beane was impressed with him.

In 2024, after Hardy didn’t make the roster as a rookie, Beane spoke highly of the cornerback and what he accomplished in training camp. Beane also believes Hardy can be an effective kick and punt returner in the NFL.

“There’s a lot that goes into the punt return and that was probably the main reason that we selected him late in the draft was he had shown some really good things at Penn State as a punt returner,” Beane said. “But still probably cleaning up some decision-making, just all the things that go into that…I thought it was arrow up, but we kind of run out of time. …

“It’s hard because you’d love to just let it go, but still had a little bit of a gap to close from that standpoint. But we believe in him, and we’re excited that we’re able to get him back.”

With the Bills not having a clear answer at kick/punt returner, perhaps Buffalo looks to bring back Hardy. If he is healthy, he can also add some more depth to the secondary and cornerback position.

Buffalo Addressed Cornerback in Draft

The Bills’ secondary depth has been an issue, and Beane addressed the cornerback room in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Buffalo traded back into the second round to select cornerback Davison Igbinosun, a three-year starter out of Ohio State.

“Corners are premium positions,” Beane said about drafting a cornerback. “Those guys are all going to play, they’re going to play. It’s a long season. And when you have corners that are not capable, they get bull’s eyes on them real fast. And especially when you’re playing the prime time quarterbacks, the prime time offenses in this league. …

“You want to make sure, as the season goes along, if injury strikes, that you’ve got enough guys, even if they’re not starters. How many guys we went through last season that played in the playoffs for us, or helped us get to the playoffs. So you’re going to need those guys.”

The Bills also drafted safety Jalen Kilgore and cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. to bolster the secondary.

Buffalo’s cornerback room is led by Christian Benford, Maxwell Hairston, Dee Alford, Igbinosun, Dorian Strong, and Pride.