Minnesota retooled their cornerback room with two players in the first four rounds of the draft this offseason. The extra competition ultimately shut Hairston out of a roster spot. Hairston can contribute on special teams and as a corner, making him a strong bet to find a roster spot sooner rather than later.

Minnesota also re-signed fellow CB Tye Smith. Hairston, 27, was a fifth-round pick of the Colts in 2017 and spent two years with Indy before splitting time with the Jets and Broncos the last three years. He appeared in 16 games for Denver last season, seeing action on 63% of the special teams snaps and 15% of the defensive downs.

Hairston appeared in five games for the Broncos and Jets last year and made 17 combined starts between 2017-19. He reportedly had a strong camp, but Denver ultimately decided to go in a different direction. He's now a practice squad candidate.

Hairston's release was procedural to lower his cap hit. He'll be brought back at the veteran minimum after appearing in five games between the Broncos and Jets last season. 26-year-old Hairston will compete with Essang Bassey, Kevin Toliver, and Parnell Motley for a spot on the opening day roster.