| Buffalo Bills | |||||||||||||
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| Established | October 28, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-10-28)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Stadium | Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York[2] | ||||||||||||
| Headquartered | ADPRO Sports Training Center,Orchard Park, New York[3] | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Royal blue, red, white, navy blue[4][5][6] | ||||||||||||
| Fight song |
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| Mascot | Billy Buffalo | ||||||||||||
| Website | buffalobills | ||||||||||||
| Personnel | |||||||||||||
| Owner(s) |
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| President | Terry Pegula | ||||||||||||
| General manager | Brandon Beane | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Sean McDermott | ||||||||||||
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American Football League (1960–1969)
National Football League (1970–present)
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| Championships | |||||||||||||
League championships: 2
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| Conference championships: 4 | |||||||||||||
| Division championships: 15 | |||||||||||||
| Playoff appearances (24) | |||||||||||||
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TheBuffalo Bills are a professionalAmerican football team based in theBuffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in theNational Football League (NFL) as a member of theAmerican Football Conference (AFC)East division. The team plays its home games atHighmark Stadium inOrchard Park, New York, and is building anew stadium which will be completed in 2026.
Founded in 1959 as a charter member of theAmerican Football League (AFL), the team joined the NFL in1970 following theAFL–NFL merger.[9][10] The Bills' name is derived from anAll-America Football Conference (AAFC)franchise from Buffalo that was in turn named after western frontiersmanBuffalo Bill.[11] Drawing much of its fanbase from western New York[12] and neighboringsouthern Ontario,[13] the Bills are the only NFL team that plays home games in the state of New York.[a] The franchise is owned byTerry Pegula, who purchased the Bills after the death of the original ownerRalph Wilson in 2014,[14] and a coalition ofprivate equity funds and investors who purchased a minority stake in the team in 2024.[15]
The Bills advanced to theAFL Championship Game three years in a row from1964 to1966, winning the first two. To date, these are the only major professional sports championships from a team representing Buffalo. They struggled heavily in the latter years of the AFL and for much of their first two decades in the NFL, tallying only five winning seasons and three postseason berths from 1967 to 1987. However, they were perennial postseason contenders from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, peaking between 1990 and 1993 when they appeared in a record four consecutiveSuper Bowls, an accomplishment often overshadowed by the fact they lost all four. From the early 2000s to the mid-2010s, the Bills endured thelongest playoff drought of 17 years in thefour major North American professional sports, making them the last franchise in the four leagues to qualify for the postseason in the 21st century.[16][17] They returned to consistent postseason contention by the late 2010s,[18] although the Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl. Alongside theMinnesota Vikings, their four Super Bowl appearances are the most among NFL franchises that have not won the Super Bowl.[19][b]
In December 2024, the Bills became one of the first teams in NFL history to sell part of their franchise to outside private equity investors. 20.6% of the team interest was sold at a valuation of $5.6 billion, including 10% to the American investment group Arctos Partners LP.[20][21]
The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of theAmerican Football League led by head coachBuster Ramsey and joined the NFL as part of theAFL–NFL merger in 1970.[22] In the first two seasons, the Bills went 5–8–1 and 6–8 under Ramsey.[23][24] The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in1964 and1965 with quarterbackJack Kemp and coachLou Saban, but the club has yet to win a league championship since.[25][26]
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Once theAFL–NFL merger took effect, the Bills became the second NFL team to represent the city; they followed theBuffalo All-Americans, a charter member of the league.[27] Buffalo had been left out of the league since the All-Americans (by that point renamed the Bisons) folded in 1929; the Bills were no less than the third professional non-NFL team to compete in the city before the merger, following theIndians/Tigers of the early 1940s andan earlier team named the Bills, originally the Bisons, in the late 1940s in theAll-America Football Conference (AAFC).
Following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bills were generally mediocre in the 1970s but featured All-Pro running backO. J. Simpson.[28] After being pushed to the brink of failure in the mid-1980s, the collapse of theUnited States Football League[29] and a series of highly drafted players such asJim Kelly (who initially played for the USFL instead of the Bills),Thurman Thomas,Bruce Smith andDarryl Talley allowed the Bills to rebuild into a perennial contender in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s under head coach Marv Levy, a period in which the team won four consecutiveAFC Championships; the team nevertheless lost all four subsequentSuper Bowls, records in both categories that still stand.[30][31][32]
The rise of the division rivalNew England Patriots underBill Belichick andTom Brady, along with numerous failed attempts at rebuilding in the 2000s and 2010s, helped prevent the Bills from reaching the playoffs in seventeen consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2016, a 17-year drought that was the longest active playoff drought in all major professional sports at the time.[33][34]
Mike Mularkey coached the Bills in the 2004 and 2005 seasons.[35] He went 9–7 but missed the postseason in 2004 and 5–11 in 2005.[36] He resigned from the team following the 2005 season.[37]
From 2006 to 2009, the Bills were coached by Dick Jauron.[38] Following three consecutive 7–9 seasons, Jauron was dismissed after a 3–6 start to his fourth season.[39][40] Perry Fewell finished out the season as interim with a 3–4 mark.[41]
From 2010 to 2012, the Bills were coached by Chan Gailey.[42] The team had Ryan Fitzpatrick as their quarterback in those seasons.[43] Gailey was fired after three consecutive last place finishes in the AFC East.[44]
Doug Marrone was hired to be the Bills' head coach prior to the 2013 season.[45] The Bills went 6–10 in the 2013 season and improved to 9–7 in the 2014 season.[46][47] Marrone decided to step down as head coach following the season.[48] On October 8, 2014,Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula received unanimous approval to acquire the Bills during the NFL owners' meetings, becoming the second ownership group of the team after team founderRalph Wilson.[14] After Kim was incapacitated by a 2022 vascular brain injury, a portion of her stake in the team was transferred to her stepdaugher Laura,[49] with a 20% stake in the team sold to a coalition ofprivate equity investors and former Toronto athletesJozy Altidore,Vince Carter andTracy McGrady in December 2024.[15]
Prior to the 2015 season, the team hired former Jets' head coach Rex Ryan to become the next head coach of the Bills.[50] The team went 8–8 in 2015 and 7–9 in 2016.[51][52] Ryan was dismissed with one game remaining in the 2016 season, with Anthony Lynn finishing the season as interim.[53]
Under head coach Sean McDermott,[54] the Bills broke the playoff drought, appearing in the playoffs for six of the next seven seasons.[55] The team drafted Wyoming quarterbackJosh Allen with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.[56] The team earned its first division championship and playoff wins since 1995 during the 2020 season, aided by Brady's departure toTampa Bay and out of the AFC East, as well as the Bills' own development of a core of talent including Allen,Stefon Diggs,Matt Milano, andTre'Davious White.[57][58] In the 2020 season, the Bills reached the AFC Championship for the first time since the 1993 season.[59] However, their run ended with a 38–24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.[60] The Bills won the AFC East with a 11–6 record in the 2021 season.[61] The Bills defeated the Patriots 47–17 in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs42–36 in overtime.[62][63]
In the 2022 season, the Bills won the AFC East with a 13–3 record.[64] The season saw a cancelled game against the Bengals due to a near-fatal medical episode with Damar Hamlin, who eventually recovered and returned to football activities the following season.[65][66] The team defeated the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card Round 34–31 before falling to the Cincinnati Bengals 27–10 in the Divisional Round.[67][68] In the 2023 season, the Bills won the AFC East for the fourth consecutive season.[69] In the Wild Card Round, they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–17 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round 27–24.[70][71] In the 2024 season, the Bills finished with a 13–4 record and won another AFC East title.[72] Following wins over the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round and the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round, the Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship.[73][74][75] The Bills announced plans to build anew stadium to replace Highmark Stadium to be ready by 2026.[76]
For their first two seasons, the Bills wore uniforms based on those of theDetroit Lions at the time. Ralph Wilson had been a minority owner of the Lions before founding the Bills, and the Bills' predecessors in the AAFC had also worn blue and silver uniforms.[4][77]
The team's original colors were Honolulu blue, silver, and white, and the helmets were silver with no striping. There was no logo on the helmet, which displayed the players' numbers on each side.
In1962, the standing red bison was designated as the logo and took its place on a white helmet.[4] In 1962, the team's colors also changed to red, white, and blue. The team switched to blue jerseys with red and white shoulder stripes, similar to the Buffalo Bisons AHL hockey team of the same era. The helmets were white with a red center stripe.[4] The jerseys again saw a change in1964 when the shoulder stripes were replaced by a distinctive stripe pattern on the sleeves consisting of four stripes, two thicker inner stripes and two thinner outer stripes all bordered by red piping. By1965, red and blue center stripes were put on the helmets.[78]
The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in1973, the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through1985.[79] The face mask on the helmet was blue from1974 through1986 before changing to white.
The standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. The newer emblem, still the primary one used by the franchise, was designed by aerospace designer Stevens Wright in 1974.[80][81]
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In1984, the helmet's shell color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterbackJoe Ferguson distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time, theBaltimore Colts, theMiami Dolphins, and theNew England Patriots, who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said, "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field."[82] (The Patriots have worn silver helmets since 1993, the Colts have since been realigned to theAFC South, and in2019 theNew York Jets have since switched back to green-colored helmets, after playing 20 years with white ones.)
In2002, under the direction of general managerTom Donahoe, the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the primary jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included a dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and a white face mask. A new logo, a stylized "B" consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining the running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison with a red streak, white horn, and eyeball—remained unchanged.
In2005, the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform.
The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after2006, while the white-on-blue was not worn after2007.
For the2011 season, the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return toroyal blue instead ofnavy.[83][84] The set initially featured striped socks, but by 2021, the Bills gradually reduced its usage and began wearing either all-white or all-blue hosiery without stripes in most games.
Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in the 1980s, including all eight home games in1984, but stopped doing so beginning in 1987. On November 6, 2011, against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since1986. Since 2011, the Bills have worn white for home games, either with their primary uniform or a throwback set.
The Bills' uniform received minor alterations as part of the league's new uniform contract withNike. The new Nike uniform was unveiled on April 3, 2012.[85]
On November 12, 2015, the Bills and the New York Jets became the first two teams to participate in the NFL'sColor Rush uniform initiative, with Buffalo wearing an all-red combination for the first time in team history.[86] Like the primary uniforms, the set initially had red socks with white and blue stripes, but in 2020, it was replaced with red socks without stripes.
A notable use of the Bills' uniforms outside of football was in the2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships when theUnited States men's national junior ice hockey team wore Bills-inspired uniforms in theiroutdoor game againstTeam Canada on December 29, 2017.[87] This game was also played at the Bills' home stadium, Highmark Stadium.
On April 1, 2021, the team announced they would wear white face masks during the upcoming season and beyond.[88][89]
On December 22, 2024, the team debuted a brand new uniform combination consisting of their red Color Rush uniform and white pants.[90]
The Bills have rivalries with their threeAFC East opponents (theMiami Dolphins,New England Patriots, andNew York Jets) and also have rivalries with theBaltimore/Indianapolis Colts (a former divisional opponent),Kansas City Chiefs,Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans,Jacksonville Jaguars,[91] andDallas Cowboys.[92] They also play an annual preseason game against theDetroit Lions.
TheCleveland Browns once shared a rivalry with the Bills'predecessors in theAll-America Football Conference. The current teams have a more friendly relationship and have played sporadically since theAFL–NFL merger.[93]
This is often considered Buffalo's most famous rivalry. Though the Bills andDolphins both originated in theAmerican Football League, the Dolphins did not start playing until 1966 as an expansion team, while the Bills were one of the original eight AFL teams.[94] The rivalry first gained prominence when the Dolphins won every matchup against the Bills in the 1970s for an NFL-record 20 straight wins against a single opponent (the Bills defeated the Dolphins in their first match-up of the 1980s).[95] Fortunes changed in the following decades with the rise ofJim Kelly as Buffalo's franchise quarterback. Though Kelly and Dolphins quarterbackDan Marino shared a competitive rivalry in the 1980s and 1990s, the Bills became dominant in the 1990s. Things cooled down after the retirements of Kelly and Marino and therise of the New England Patriots in the 2000s and 2010s, but Miami remains a fierce rival of the Bills, coming in second place in a recent poll of Buffalo's primary rival,[96] and the two teams have typically been close to each other in win–loss records. Recently, they have often competed for the division title sinceTua Tagovailoa became Miami's quarterback, despite Buffalo's 13–2 record over the Dolphins underJosh Allen. Miami leads the overall series 62–60–1 as of 2024, but Buffalo has the advantage in the playoffs at 4–1, including a win in the1992 AFC Championship Game.[97]
The rivalry with theNew England Patriots began when both teams were original franchises in theAmerican Football League (AFL) prior to theNFL–AFL merger, but did not gain notability until the emergence of New England quarterbackTom Brady in 2001.[98] The teams were very competitive prior to the 2000s. However, Brady's arrival in the early 2000s led to the Patriots dominating the AFC East, including the Bills, for two decades.[99][100] As a result, New England replaced the Dolphins as Buffalo's most hated rival.[96][101] The Bills have taken a 8–3 edge since Brady's departure in 2020, which included consecutive AFC East titles from 2020 to 2024 and a season sweep of the Patriots in two of the first three years. In 2021, the Bills dominated in a 47–17 victory against the Patriots in the two teams' first playoff match-up in 59 years, which saw the Bills score a touchdown on every offensive drive throughout the entire game and, as such, is the only "perfect offensive game" in NFL history.[102][103][104] Overall, the Patriots lead the series 79–51–1 as of 2024, but trail the Bills by a 48–47–1 margin without Brady on the field.[105]
The rivalry is also noted for several players being a members of both teams during their careers, includingDrew Bledsoe,Doug Flutie,Lawyer Milloy,Brandon Spikes,Scott Chandler,Chris Hogan,Mike Gillislee, andStephon Gilmore.[106]
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The Bills andJets were both original AFL teams, and both represent the state ofNew York, though the Jets have played their home games inEast Rutherford, New Jersey since 1984. While the rivalry represents the differences betweenNew York City andWestern New York, it has historically not been as intense as Buffalo's rivalries with the Dolphins and Patriots. When not playing one another, the teams' fan bases either have grudging respect or low-key annoyance for each other (stemming more from the broaderupstate-downstate tensions than the teams or sport). The Bills-Jets rivalry has often become characterized by ugly games and shared mediocrity, but it has had a handful of competitive moments. The series heated up recently when former Jets head coachRex Ryan became the Bills' head coach for two seasons and had become notable again as Bills quarterbackJosh Allen and former Jets quarterbackSam Darnold, both drafted in the same year, maintained a friendly rivalry with one another.[107][108] Buffalo leads the series 71–58 as of 2024, including a playoff win in 1981.[109]
TheKansas City Chiefs, another original franchise in the AFL, have a long history against the Bills, despite the two teams never being in the same division. Buffalo currently leads the series 30–26–1, which has included seven playoff meetings, four of which were AFL/AFC Championship Games;[110] Kansas City won the1966 AFL Championship Game that determined the AFL's representative inthe first Super Bowl against the NFL championGreen Bay Packers,[111] in addition to the 2020 and2024 AFC Championship Games that saw the team advance to its second and fifth Super Bowl appearances in six years, respectively,[112] while Buffalo defeated Kansas City in the 1993 AFC Championship Game to advance to its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance.[113] However, after each victory in the AFC Championship Game, the Chiefs or the Bills went on to lose the ensuing Super Bowl. Despite a lull in the series in the 2000s and 2010s, the rivalry gained attention as the Bills and Chiefs met in nine of ten years from 2008 to 2017.[114][115]
After a two-year hiatus in the series, a rivalry between Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes developed, particularly in the post-season, drawing comparisons to Jim Kelly's rivalry with Dan Marino as well as therivalry between Tom Brady andPeyton Manning.[116] Since 2019, four high-profile postseason matchups occurred between the Bills and Chiefs. The four playoff games include the aforementioned 2020 Championship Game and the2021 Divisional round game, the latter of which is now considered one of the greatest playoff games of all time, but was also controversial due to the league's overtime rules.[117][118] In2023 divisional round, Bills lost to the Chiefs 24–27 as Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed the game-tying field goal attempt wide right, a play that evoked memories of Scott Norwood missing the game-winning field goal attempt inSuper Bowl XXV[119] In the2024 AFC Championship Game, Billsfailed to convert two 4th downs in the fourth quarter: the first was a 4th and inches quarterback sneak by Allen that was controversially ruled short of the line of gain and the second was a 4th and 5 pass from Allen that the tight end Kincaid dropped while sliding.[120][121] The Chiefs went on to win 32–29. In the four playoff matchups between Allen and Mahomes, Mahomes leads the series 4–0.[122]
A new rivalry emerged between the Bills and theJacksonville Jaguars after former Bills head coachDoug Marrone, who had quit the team after the 2014 season, was hired as a coaching assistant for Jacksonville and eventually rose to become the Jaguars' head coach.[91] The first game between the Marrone-led Jaguars was aLondon game inweek 7 of the 2015 season, which saw the Jaguars' win 34–31.[123] The most important game of this series was an ugly, low-scoringWild Card game in 2017 that saw the Jaguars win 10–3. This game is notable as it was the first Bills playoff appearance in 17 seasons.[124] Prior to this, Jacksonville had handed Buffalo its first playoff loss inBills Stadium in 1996.[125] Following the 2017 wild card game the Bills and Jaguars have met three additional times. The first was a "rematch" game inweek 12 of the 2018 season, which saw the Bills win 24–21. During this game, trash talk from former Jaguars players such asJalen Ramsey resulted in a brawl between the teams.[126][127][128] The second time was inweek 9 of the 2021 season. By now, the "point" of the rivalry, Marrone's feud with the Bills organization, and the personal drama between Bills and Jaguars players no longer applied as Marrone had been fired and replaced byUrban Meyer and all the players from the 2017 Jaguars team have since moved on to other teams or retired. Regardless, this game was the seventh largest upset at the time in NFL history, which saw the 15.5-point favorite Bills lose 9–6.[129] The most recent meeting between the two teams was a 47–10 Bills win on Monday Night Football in 2024.[130] The series is currently tied at 10–10.[131]
TheTennessee Titans (formerly theHouston Oilers) share an extended history with the Bills, both teams being original AFL clubs and rivals in that league's East Division before the AFL-NFL merger. Match-ups were intense in the 1990s, with quarterbackWarren Moon leading the Oilers against Jim Kelly's Bills.[132] After both teams failed to meet the same success in the late 2000s to early 2010s, they have returned to consistent playoff contention since 2017, resulting in several high-profile games as of late.[133] Memorable playoff moments between the teams includeThe Comeback, in which theFrank Reich-led Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to stun the Oilers 41–38 in 1992,[132] and theMusic City Miracle, in which the now-Titans scored on a near-last-minute kickoff return with a controversiallateral pass ruling to beat the Bills 22–16 in 1999.[134] The Music City Miracle was notable for being Buffalo's last playoff appearance until 2017.[135] The Titans currently lead the series 30–21.[136]
The Buffalo Bills have retired three numbers in franchise history: No. 12 forJim Kelly, No. 34 forThurman Thomas, and No. 78 forBruce Smith. Although the Bills have retired only three jersey numbers, other numbers are no longer issued or are in reduced circulation.[137][138]
| Buffalo Bills retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Jim Kelly | QB | 1986–1996[137] | November 19, 2001 |
| 34 | Thurman Thomas | RB | 1988–1999[139][140] | October 30, 2018 |
| 78 | Bruce Smith | DE | 1985–1999[138] | September 15, 2016 |
Since the team's earliest days, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person but the 'spirit of the team.' In the first three decades of the team's existence, the number 31 was only seen once. In 1969, when reserve running backPreston Ridlehuber damaged his number 36 jersey during a game, equipment manager Tony Marchitte gave him the number 31 jersey to wear while repairing the number 36. The number 31 was not reissued until 1990 when first-round draft choiceJames Williams wore it for his first two seasons; it has since been returned to general circulation. CornerbackRasul Douglas currently wears the 31 since he joined the Bills in 2023.
Number 32 had been withdrawn from circulation but not retired afterO. J. Simpson. Former ownerRalph Wilson insisted on not reissuing the number, even after Simpson'shighly publicized murder case and laterrobbery conviction. The number was placed back into circulation in 2019 withSenorise Perry wearing the number that year;[141] it was most recently worn by linebackerNicholas Morrow until he was waived in January 2025.
Number 15 was historically only issued sparingly after the retirement ofJack Kemp.[137] It was last worn by wide receiverMarquez Valdes-Scantling in 2024, before he was released on October 15, 2024.[142] Other numbers that have been historically issued only on rare circumstances included the 44 ofElbert Dubenion (worn as of 2024 byJoe Andreessen) and the 66 ofBilly Shaw (worn since 2023 byConnor J. McGovern), each of which were typically only issued to players not expected to make the team's regular season roster.[137]
Number 1 has also rarely been used for reasons yet to be explained. While there is no proper explanation,Tommy Hughitt was aplayer-coach for the earlyBuffalo teams in theNew York Pro Football League and NFL from 1918 to 1924 and was both a major on-field success and a fixture in Buffalo culture after his retirement as a politician and auto salesman. Hughitt was reported to wear number 1 during this time. Wide receiverCurtis Samuel currently wears the number; prior toEmmanuel Sanders's one-year stint with the Bills in 2021, it had been 19 years since it had been worn in the regular season when kickerMike Hollis wore it in 2002.[143]
Number 95 has not been reissued since the retirement ofKyle Williams in 2019.[144]
| Inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame |
| Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame | ||||
| Inducted | No. | Name | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 32 | O. J. Simpson | RB | 1969–1977 |
| 1984 | 15 | Jack Kemp | QB | 1962–1969 |
| 1985 | – | Pat McGroder | Contributor GM | 1961–1983 1983 |
| 1987 | 70 | Tom Sestak | DT | 1962–1968 |
| 1988 | 66 | Billy Shaw | OG | 1961–1969 |
| 1989 | – | Ralph C. Wilson Jr. | Owner | 1959–2014 |
| 1992 | 12 | The 12th Man | Fans | 1960–present |
| 1993 | 44 | Elbert Dubenion | WR | 1960–1968 |
| 1994 | 58 | Mike Stratton | LB | 1962–1972 |
| 1995 | 12 | Joe Ferguson | QB | 1973–1984 |
| 1996 | – | Marv Levy | HC GM | 1986–1997 2006–2007 |
| 1997 | 68 | Joe DeLamielleure | OG | 1973–1979 1985 |
| 1998 | 20 | Robert James | CB | 1969–1974 |
| 1999 | – | Edward Abramoski | Trainer | 1960–1996 |
| 2000 | 61 | Bob Kalsu | G | 1968 |
| 26 | George Saimes | S | 1963–1969 | |
| 2001 | 12 | Jim Kelly | QB | 1986–1996 |
| 76 | Fred Smerlas | DT | 1979–1989 | |
| 2002 | 67 | Kent Hull | C | 1986–1996 |
| 2003 | 56 | Darryl Talley | LB | 1983–1994 |
| 2004 | 51 | Jim Ritcher | G | 1980–1993 |
| 2005 | 34 | Thurman Thomas | RB | 1988–1999 |
| 2006 | 83 | Andre Reed | WR | 1985–1999 |
| 2007 | 89 | Steve Tasker | WR | 1986–1997 |
| 2008 | 78 | Bruce Smith | DE | 1985–1999 |
| 2010 | 24 | Booker Edgerson | CB | 1962–1969 |
| 2011 | 90 | Phil Hansen | DE | 1991–2001 |
| 2012 | – | Bill Polian | GM | 1984–1992 |
| 2014 | – | Van Miller | Broadcaster | 1960–1971 1977–2003 |
| 2015 | – | Lou Saban | Coach | 1962–1965 1972–1976 |
| 2017 | 34 | Cookie Gilchrist | RB | 1962–1964 |
| Buffalo Bills Hall of Famers | ||||
| Players | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | O. J. Simpson | RB | 1969–1977 | 1985 |
| 66 | Billy Shaw | OG | 1961–1969 | 1999 |
| 12 | Jim Kelly | QB | 1986–1996 | 2002 |
| 80 | James Lofton | WR | 1989–1992 | 2003 |
| 68 | Joe DeLamielleure | OG | 1973–1979 1985 | 2003 |
| 34 | Thurman Thomas | RB | 1988–1999 | 2007 |
| 78 | Bruce Smith | DE | 1985–1999 | 2009 |
| 83 | Andre Reed | WR | 1985–1999 | 2014[146] |
| 81 | Terrell Owens | WR | 2009 | 2018 |
| Coaches and Executives | ||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | |
| Marv Levy | Head coach General Manager | 1986–1997 2006–2007 | 2001 | |
| Ralph Wilson | Owner | 1959–2014 | 2009 | |
| Bill Polian | General Manager | 1984–1992 | 2015 | |
| Position | Player | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| QB | Jim Kelly | 1986–1996 | |
| RB | Thurman Thomas | 1988–1999 | |
| WR | Andre Reed | 1985–1999 | |
| Eric Moulds | 1996–2005 | ||
| James Lofton | 1989–1992 | ||
| TE | Pete Metzelaars | 1985–1994 | |
| G | Joe DeLamielleure | 1973–1979, 1985 | |
| Billy Shaw | 1961–1969 | ||
| Ruben Brown | 1995–2003 | ||
| Jim Ritcher | 1980–1993 | ||
| C | Kent Hull | 1986–1996 | |
| Defense | |||
| DE | Bruce Smith | 1985–1999 | |
| DT | Fred Smerlas | 1979–1989 | |
| Tom Sestak | 1962–1968 | ||
| LB | Darryl Talley | 1983–1994 | |
| Mike Stratton | 1962–1972 | ||
| Cornelius Bennett | 1987–1995 | ||
| Shane Conlan | 1987–1992 | ||
| CB | Butch Byrd | 1964–1970 | |
| Nate Odomes | 1987–1993 | ||
| S | George Saimes | 1963–1969 | |
| Henry Jones | 1991–2000 | ||
| Special teams | |||
| K | Steve Christie | 1992–2001 | |
| P | Brian Moorman | 2001–2013 | |
| ST | Steve Tasker | 1986–1997 | |
| Coach | |||
| HC | Marv Levy | 1986–1997 | |
| Source:[147][148][149] | |||
On April 27, 1984, Bills announced the Silver Anniversary team to commemorate its 25th anniversary.[150]
| Position | Player | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Offense | ||
| QB | Jack Kemp | 1962–1969 |
| RB | O. J. Simpson | 1969–1977 |
| FB | Cookie Gilchrist | 1962–1964 |
| WR | Elbert Dubenion | 1960–1968 |
| Bob Chandler | 1971–1979 | |
| TE | Ernie Warlick | 1962–1965 |
| OT | Joe Devlin | 1976–1989 |
| G | Billy Shaw | 1961–1969 |
| C | Al Bemiller | 1961–1969 |
| Defense | ||
| DE | Ben Williams | 1976–1985 |
| Ron McDole | 1963–1970 | |
| NT | Fred Smerlas | 1979–1989 |
| DT | Tom Sestak | 1962–1968 |
| LB | John Tracey | 1962–1967 |
| Jim Haslett | 1979–1985 | |
| Mike Stratton | 1962–1972 | |
| CB | Robert James | 1969–1974 |
| Butch Byrd | 1964–1970 | |
| S | George Saimes | 1963–1969 |
| Steve Freeman | 1975–1986 | |
| Special teams | ||
| K | Pete Gogolak | 1964–1965 |
| P | Paul Maguire | 1964–1970 |
| Staff | ||
| Owner | Ralph Wilson | 1960–2014 |
| Source:[151] | ||
The Bills have had twenty coaches serve as head coach in franchise history.[152]
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TheBuffalo Bills Radio Network is flagshipped atWGR AM 550 in Buffalo, with sister stationWWKB AM 1520 simulcasting all home games. Chris Brown is the team's current play-by-play announcer, having taken over fromJohn Murphy (the announcer from 2003 to 2022 and color commentator most years from 1984 to 2003) after Murphy suffered a stroke.[153][154] Former Bills centerEric Wood is the color analyst.[155]
In 2018, the team signed an agreement withNexstar Media Group to carry Bills preseason games across its network of stations in the region. As of 2020,WIVB-TV serves as theflagship station of the network, which includesWJET-TV inErie,WROC-TV inRochester,WSYR-TV inSyracuse,WUTR inUtica,WETM-TV inElmira andWIVT inBinghamton.[156]Steve Tasker does color commentary on these games; the play-by-play position is rotated betweenAndrew Catalon andRob Stone. WROC-TV reporter Thad Brown is the sideline reporter. Since 2008, preseason games have been broadcast inhigh definition.
Beginning in the 2016 season, as per a new rights deal that covers rights to the team as well as its sisterNHL franchise, theBuffalo Sabres, most team-related programming, including studio programming and the coach's show, was re-located toMSG Western New York—a joint venture of MSG and the team ownership. Preseason games will continue to air in simulcast on broadcast television.[157]
In the event that regular season games are broadcast byESPN, in accordance with the league's television policies, a local Buffalo station will broadcast the game. From 2014 to 2017, WKBW-TV held the broadcast rights to that contest, with the station winning back the rights to cable games afterWBBZ-TV held the rights for 2012 and 2013.[158]
The Bills' official mascot isBilly Buffalo, an eight-foot-tall, anthropomorphic blueAmerican bison who wears the jersey "number" BB.[160]
The Bills do not havecheerleaders.[161] The Bills operated a cheerleading squad named theBuffalo Jills from 1967 to 1985; from 1986 to 2013, the Jills operated as an independent organization sponsored by various companies. The Jills suspended operations prior to the 2014 season due to legal actions.[162] The Bills and Jills were previously involved in a legal battle, in which the Jills alleged they were employees, not independent contractors, and sought back pay.[163][164] On March 3, 2022, a settlement was reached where the Bills agreed to pay the Jills $3.5 million, whileCumulus Media paid $4 million in stock options of the company while admitting no wrongdoing.[165]
The Bills are one of six teams in the NFL to designate an official marching band or drumline (the others being theBaltimore Ravens,Washington Commanders,New York Jets,Carolina Panthers andSeattle Seahawks). Since the last game of the 2013 season, this position has been served by the Stampede Drumline, known outside of Buffalo as Downbeat Percussion.[166][167]
The Bills have several theme songs associated with them. The most popular is a variation of the Isley Brothers hit "Shout," recorded by Scott Kemper,[168] which served as the Bills' official promotional song from 1987 through 1990s. It can be heard at every Bills home game following a field goal or touchdown and at the game's end if the Bills win. The Bills' unofficialfight song, "Go Bills," was penned by Bills head coachMarv Levy in the mid-1990s on afriendly wager with his players that he will write the song if the team won a particular game.[169] In 2024, the Bills offensive players began a tradition of singing along to "Mr. Brightside" byThe Killers as a hype song, usually in the fourth quarter;[170][171] the Bills were undefeated at home in 2024 after the song was introduced.[172]
The "Bills Backers" are the official fan organization of the Buffalo Bills. It has over 200 chapters across North America, Europe, and Oceania.[173] Also notable is the "Bills Mafia," organized viaTwitter beginning in 2010 by Del Reid, Leslie Wille, and Breyon Harris;[174] the phrase "Bills Mafia" had by 2017 grown to unofficially represent the broad community surrounding and encompassing the team as a whole, and players who join the Bills often speak of joining the Bills Mafia. Outsiders frequently treat the Bills' fan base in derogatory terms, especially since the 2010s, partly because of negative press coverage of select fans' wilder antics.[175] In 2020, the Bills filed totrademark the "Bills Mafia" name.[176]
Bills fans are particularly well known for their wearing ofZubaz zebra-printed sportswear; so much is the association between Bills fans and Zubaz that when a revival of the company opened its first brick-and-mortar storefront, it chose Western New York as its first location.[177] The "wing hat," a hat shaped like aspicy chicken wing (much in the same style as the Green Bay Packers'Cheesehead hats), can also frequently be seen atop Bills fans' heads, having originated as promotional merchandise by theAnchor Bar, the purported inventors of the modern chicken wing as a delicacy.[178] Another hat associated with the Bills fandom is the water buffalo hat, resembling the headgear of the fictional Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes seen in the TV seriesThe Flintstones; this hat gained particular popularity with the Water Buffalo Club 716, a community of over 2,000 Bills supporters from around the world founded in 2021 by Therese Forton-Barnes.[179][180] In 1982, a local grocery store introduced the Whammy Weenie as a promotional item, a maraca-like hot dog-shaped device, painted green (which was not a Bills color, but instead painted as such in reference to a military slang term), that Bills fans were supposed to shake at the team's opponents; Bills owner Ralph Wilson, after having seen a Whammy Weenie dangled in front of his suite in the midst of a disappointing season, ordered the Whammy Weenie to be discontinued due to the double entendre it posed.[181]
Bills Mafia members are also well known for jumping off of elevated surfaces (often cars orRVs) intofolding tables, in the style ofprofessional wrestlers, during the pregametailgate.[182][183]
Bills fans are noted for their frequent support for charitable causes, especially helping charities run by players from opposing teams.[184] After the Bills received help in breaking their 17-year playoff drought through a last-minuteCincinnati Bengals victory, Bills fanscrowdfunded the charities of Bengals playersAndy Dalton andTyler Boyd with hundreds of thousands of dollars as a gesture of thanks.[185][186] Also in 2020, following a November 8 upset win over theSeattle Seahawks led by one of the best career performances by quarterback Josh Allen,[187] news emerged that Allen had elected to take the field after having been given the option to sit out the contest as he had received news of his grandmother's death only the night before. Fans showed support for their team and community by donating nearly $700,000 to theOishei Children's Hospital, an organization supported by Allen throughout his time in Buffalo.[188][189] Following the Bills' defeat of theBaltimore Ravens in the Divisional round of the2020–21 NFL playoffs and an injury to Ravens quarterbackLamar Jackson late in that game, Bills fans crowdfunded Jackson's favorite charity, Blessings in a Backpack.[190] After a 2024 game between the Bills andMiami Dolphins, Bills fans helped raise $18,000 for Dolphins quarterbackTua Tagovailoa's charity, The Tua Foundation, after Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the game.[191]
The Bills are one of the favorite teams ofESPN announcerChris Berman, who picked the Bills to reach the Super Bowl nearly every year in the 1990s. Berman often uses the catchphrase, "No onecircles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!" Berman gave the induction speech for Bills ownerRalph Wilson when Wilson was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.[192]
The Bills were also the favorite team of lateNBC political commentatorTim Russert, aSouth Buffalo native, who often referred to the Bills on his Sunday morning talk show,Meet the Press. (His son,Luke, is also a notable fan of the team.)CNN'sWolf Blitzer, also a Buffalo native, has proclaimed he is also a fan,[193] as hasCBS Evening News lead anchor and Tonawanda nativeJeff Glor andDNC ChairmanTom Perez.[194][195]
ESPN anchorKevin Connors is also a noted Bills fan, dating to his time attendingIthaca College. ActorNick Bakay, a Buffalo native, is also a well-known Bills fan; he has discussed the team in segments ofNFL Top 10. Character actorWilliam Fichtner, raised inCheektowaga, is a fan,[196] and did a commercial for the team in 2014.[197] In 2015, Fichtner also narrated theESPN30 for 30 documentary on the Bills' four Super Bowl appearances, "Four Falls of Buffalo". Former Olympic swimmerSummer Sanders (an in-law to former Bills kickerTodd Schlopy) has professed her fandom of the team. ActorChristopher McDonald, who was raised inRomulus, New York, is a fan of the team.[198]
Persons notable almost entirely for their Bills fandom include Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson, whose antics while appearing at every Bills home and away game since 1994 earned enough scrutiny that his tailgate parties were banned from stadium property on order of the league;[199] John Lang, anElvis impersonator who carries a large guitar that he uses as a billboard;[200] Marc Miller, whose professional wrestling promo-style interview with WGRZ prior toSuper Bowl XXVII (distinguished by the line "Dallas is going down, Gary!" and picked up at the time byThe George Michael Sports Machine) was rediscovered in 2019;[201] and Ezra Castro, also known as "Pancho Billa", a native ofEl Paso, Texas who wore a large sombrero and lucha mask in Bills colors. Castro was diagnosed with a spinal tumor that had metastasized in 2017; he was invited on stage during the2018 NFL draft to read one of the Bills' selections.[202] Castro died on May 14, 2019.[203]
Several former Buffalo Bills players earned a name in politics in the late 20th century after their playing careers had ended, nearly always as members of theRepublican Party. The most famous of these was quarterbackJack Kemp, who was elected tothe U.S. House of Representatives fromWestern New York in 1971—two years after his playing career ended and remained there for nearly two decades, serving as the Republican Party nominee forVice President of the United States underBob Dole in1996.[204][205] Kemp's backup,Ed Rutkowski, served as county executive ofErie County from 1979 to 1987.[206] Former tight endJay Riemersma, nose tackleFred Smerlas and defensive endPhil Hansen have all run for Congress, though all three either lost or withdrew from their respective races.[207][208]
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