The Buffalo Bills are one of professional football’s most distinctive franchises. Born in the American Football League in 1959, the Bills became one of the AFL’s early powers, survived difficult decades, produced one of the greatest teams of the 1990s, and eventually became the first team in NFL history to reach four consecutive Super Bowls.
The franchise has had only two ownership groups, but a long succession of coaches, several different home venues, Hall of Fame players, memorable draft successes and some painful draft misses. As of the 2026 season, the Bills have also entered a new era with the opening of a new Highmark Stadium and the hiring of Joe Brady as head coach.
The Birth of the Buffalo Bills
The modern Buffalo Bills franchise began on October 28, 1959, when Detroit businessman Ralph C. Wilson Jr. was awarded the seventh franchise in the new American Football League.
Wilson was one of the original AFL owners—the group sometimes called the AFL’s “Foolish Club” because they were challenging the established NFL. He selected Buffalo as the home of his new team.
The team was officially named the Buffalo Bills in November 1959 and began playing in 1960.
The Bills became one of the AFL’s strongest clubs during the middle of the 1960s, winning consecutive AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.
Every Bills Owner
One of the remarkable things about Buffalo’s history is the small number of ownership groups.
1. Ralph C. Wilson Jr. — 1959–2014
Wilson was the founder and original owner.
He owned the Bills for 54 seasons, making him one of the longest-serving owners in NFL history. During his ownership, Buffalo won two AFL championships and appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls. Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. Wilson also became an important figure in the AFL-NFL merger and was widely respected among NFL owners.
2. Terry and Kim Pegula — 2014–present
Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the Bills in 2014 after Wilson’s death. NFL owners unanimously approved the sale on October 8, 2014. The Pegulas became only the second ownership group in Bills history. Terry Pegula is the team’s owner/CEO/president, while Kim Pegula is an owner and has also held prominent leadership positions with the Bills and Buffalo Sabres.
Every Bills Home Stadium
The Bills have had two primary physical homes; although their second hone went through numerous names.
War Memorial Stadium — 1960–1972
The Bills began playing at War Memorial Stadium, commonly called the Rockpile, in Buffalo. The stadium originally opened in 1937 and was expanded during the Bills’ tenure. Buffalo played there for its entire AFL existence through the 1972 season.
Rich Stadium — 1973–1997
The Bills moved to their new suburban stadium in Orchard Park in 1973. The stadium was originally named Rich Stadium.
Ralph Wilson Stadium — 1998–2015
The stadium was renamed Ralph Wilson Stadium in honor of the franchise’s founder.
New Era Field — 2016–2019
Naming rights changed again, producing the name New Era Field.
Bills Stadium — 2020–2021
The stadium temporarily carried the straightforward name Bills Stadium.
Highmark Stadium — 2021–2025
Highmark obtained naming rights in 2021, giving the Orchard Park stadium the name Highmark Stadium.
New Highmark Stadium — 2026–present
The Bills opened a new Highmark Stadium in 2026, replacing the previous stadium across the street.
The new facility has a capacity of approximately 60,108, features a natural-grass field and was designed specifically around football. The first regular-season game in the new stadium was scheduled for September 17, 2026, against the Detroit Lions.
Every Bills Head Coach
Buffalo has had a long list of head coaches. Including interim coaches, the franchise has had 21 head-coaching tenures/named head coaches through the 2025 season, with Joe Brady beginning in 2026.
Years
Head Coach
1960–1961
Buster Ramsey
1962–1965
Lou Saban
1966–1968
Joe Collier
1968
Harvey Johnson
1969–1970
John Rauch
1971
Harvey Johnson
1972–1976
Lou Saban
1976–1977
Jim Ringo
1978–1982
Chuck Knox
1983–1985
Kay Stephenson
1985–1986
Hank Bullough
1986–1997
Marv Levy
1998–2000
Wade Phillips
2001–2003
Gregg Williams
2004–2005
Mike Mularkey
2006–2009
Dick Jauron
2009
Perry Fewell, interim
2010–2012
Chan Gailey
2013–2014
Doug Marrone
2015–2016
Rex Ryan
2016
Anthony Lynn, interim
2017–2025
Sean McDermott
2026–present
Joe Brady
The NFL’s official records document the historical coaching succession and records.
Lou Saban and the First Bills Dynasty
Lou Saban was the first great coach in Bills history.
He coached Buffalo from 1962 through 1965 and returned from 1972 through 1976.
His first Bills team won the AFL Championship in 1964. Buffalo repeated as champions in 1965.
The 1964 team was led by stars including Jack Kemp, Cookie Gilchrist, Billy Shaw, Tom Sestak and Mike Stratton.
The Bills came extremely close to reaching the first Super Bowl. They lost the 1966 AFL Championship Game to Kansas City, meaning the Chiefs—not Buffalo—advanced to Super Bowl I.
The O.J. Simpson Era
The 1970s produced one of the most famous players in franchise history: O.J. Simpson. Simpson became the centerpiece of the Buffalo offense and in 1973 became the first NFL running back to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2,003. That accomplishment remained one of the defining individual achievements in Bills history.
Chuck Knox and the Return to the Playoffs
Chuck Knox became head coach in 1978.
Known for his emphasis on physical football, Knox led Buffalo to the AFC East championship in 1980.
The Bills reached the playoffs again in 1981 before losing to Cincinnati.
After Knox’s departure, Buffalo went through another difficult period before one of the greatest transformations in franchise history.
Marv Levy and the Greatest Era in Bills History
Everything changed in 1986.
The Bills replaced Hank Bullough with Marv Levy, who would eventually become a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach.
Levy remained Buffalo’s head coach through 1997. He became the winningest coach in franchise history and led Buffalo to four consecutive AFC championships.
Levy’s teams were built around an extraordinary collection of talent:
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, James Lofton, Kent Hull, Cornelius Bennett, Darryl Talley, Steve Tasker,
and Will Wolford
General manager Bill Polian was also crucial. Polian helped construct the roster that reached four consecutive Super Bowls and ultimately brought six future Hall of Famers to Buffalo: Kelly, Lofton, Reed, Smith, Thomas and Levy.
The Four Straight Super Bowls
The Bills hold one of the most unusual records in NFL history.
They reached four consecutive Super Bowls:
Season
Super Bowl
Opponent
Result
1990
Super Bowl XXV
New York Giants
Lost 20–19
1991
Super Bowl XXVI
Washington
Lost 37–24
1992
Super Bowl XXVII
Dallas Cowboys
Lost 52–17
1993
Super Bowl XXVIII
Dallas Cowboys
Lost 30–13
Buffalo therefore has four Super Bowl appearances and zero Super Bowl victories.
The first defeat remains particularly famous.
With Buffalo trailing the Giants 20–19, kicker Scott Norwood’s final-second field-goal attempt went wide right.
Despite the four losses, simply reaching four straight Super Bowls remains one of the greatest sustained achievements in NFL history.
The 1990s Bills
The Bills of the early 1990s were built around the no-huddle offense.
Jim Kelly directed the offense while Thurman Thomas became one of the NFL’s most versatile running backs. Andre Reed provided a dominant receiving target, while Bruce Smith anchored the defense.
Buffalo also became known for its passionate home crowd.
The 1990s Bills won four consecutive AFC championships from 1990 through 1993.
The Difficult Years After the Super Bowls
Following the retirement of Levy and the aging of the championship-era roster, Buffalo entered a long period without playoff football.
Coaches including:
Wade Phillips, Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell Chan Gailey Doug Marrone Rex Ryan Anthony Lynn attempted to rebuild the franchise.
The Bills did not return to the playoffs during this stretch until 2017, when Sean McDermott took over.
Sean McDermott and the Modern Bills
Sean McDermott became Buffalo’s head coach in 2017.
The Bills made the playoffs during his first season, ending a long postseason drought.
The selection of Josh Allen in the 2018 NFL Draft then became the foundation of the modern team.
Under McDermott and Allen, Buffalo won multiple AFC East championships and returned to the upper level of the AFC. The Hall of Fame’s team history notes that Buffalo won five consecutive AFC East titles from 2020 through 2024. McDermott’s tenure ended after the 2025 season, and Buffalo hired Joe Brady as head coach on January 27, 2026
The Best Bills Draft Picks
There is no official NFL category for “best draft pick,” so this section is based on the player’s career impact with Buffalo.
1. Bruce Smith — 1985, No. 1 Overall
Smith became arguably the greatest defensive player in Bills history. He recorded 200 career sacks, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and spent the majority of his career in Buffalo. The 1985 draft also produced Andre Reed for Buffalo later in the draft.
2. Thurman Thomas — 1988, Second Round
Thomas was selected in the second round out of Oklahoma State. He became the centerpiece of Buffalo’s no-huddle offense and eventually entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3. Andre Reed — 1985, Fourth Round
Reed was one of the greatest fourth-round selections in NFL history. He became Buffalo’s all-time leading receiver before Josh Allen-era players began challenging franchise records.
4. Jim Kelly — 1983, First Round by Buffalo in the USFL era
Kelly’s story is unusual because Buffalo drafted him in 1983, but he chose to play in the USFL before eventually joining the Bills in 1986. He became the quarterback of the four-Super-Bowl team and a Hall of Famer.
5. Joe DeLamielleure — 1973, First Round
DeLamielleure was a cornerstone of the 1970s Bills and eventually became a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Some of the Bills’ Biggest Draft Disappointments
Again, “worst” is an evaluative term rather than an official statistic. Among Buffalo’s most frequently cited first-round disappointments are:
Mike Williams — 2002, No. 4 Overall
The offensive tackle was selected fourth overall but never developed into the franchise cornerstone Buffalo expected.
Erik Flowers — 2000, No. 26 Overall
Flowers struggled to establish himself as a dependable NFL offensive lineman and spent only a few seasons with Buffalo.
Aaron Maybin — 2009, No. 11 Overall
Maybin was selected with a high first-round pick but recorded no sacks for Buffalo during his career with the team.
E.J. Manuel — 2013, No. 16 Overall
Manuel became Buffalo’s starting quarterback but never developed into the long-term franchise quarterback the organization hoped it had found.
The contrast between these selections and players such as Smith, Thomas and Reed demonstrates how dramatically the impact of an NFL draft can vary.
Buffalo’s complete draft history contains every selection dating back to 1960.
Players Buffalo Traded Away Before They Became Major Stars
One of the most interesting parts of Bills history is the number of players whose careers became more prominent elsewhere.
Marshawn Lynch
The most obvious modern example is Marshawn Lynch.
Buffalo selected Lynch in the first round of the 2007 draft. He became a productive NFL running back with the Bills but was traded to Seattle in 2010. The Seahawks became his defining team. Lynch became a major part of Seattle’s championship-era offense and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl. Buffalo received draft compensation in the trade.
Other cases
Buffalo has also had players who became more prominent after leaving the organization, although not every case qualifies as a straightforward “traded before becoming a star” situation.
That distinction matters because some players were released, departed in free agency or were already established when they left.
The Bills’ Hall of Fame Legacy
Buffalo has produced or employed an extraordinary collection of Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Among the players and personnel associated with the franchise are:
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, James Lofton, Joe DeLamielleure, Billy Shaw, O.J. Simpson, Marv Levy
Ralph C. Wilson Jr., and Bill Polian
The Hall of Fame currently lists 12 Pro Football Hall of Famers associated with the Bills and 31 members of the Bills Wall of Fame.
The Bills Wall of Fame
The Bills have also established their own Wall of Fame to recognize franchise legends.
Names include:
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Joe DeLamielleure, Billy Shaw, Jack Kemp, O.J. Simpson, Darryl Talley, Kent Hull, Steve Tasker, Fred Smerlas, Cornelius Bennett, Jim Ritcher, Frank Reich, Ralph Wilson, Bill Polian
The Wall also includes the 12th Man—the Bills’ fans, an appropriate recognition for one of the NFL’s most famous fan bases.
The Bills Mafia
Buffalo’s fan culture has become an important part of the franchise’s identity.
The term Bills Mafia came to prominence during the 2010s and has become closely associated with the team’s supporters.
The fan base is known throughout the NFL for its loyalty, tailgating traditions and willingness to support the team through decades of losing seasons as well as championship-caliber periods. That loyalty was particularly significant during the long stretch between Buffalo’s playoff appearances in the 1990s and the return to the postseason in 2017.
The Bills’ Greatest Eras
The franchise can broadly be divided into several important eras:
1960–1965: The AFL Years
The Bills established themselves as an AFL power and won championships in 1964 and 1965.
1972–1976: The Simpson Era
O.J. Simpson became one of football’s biggest stars, highlighted by his 2,003-yard season in 1973.
1988–1993: The Super Bowl Era
This was the defining period of the franchise.
Buffalo won four AFC championships and reached four consecutive Super Bowls.
1999–2016: The Playoff Drought
The Bills struggled to regain their previous level and endured one of the longest postseason droughts in modern NFL history.
2017–2025: The Josh Allen Era
Sean McDermott and Josh Allen transformed Buffalo into a consistent AFC contender.
2026–Present: The New Stadium and Joe Brady Era
Buffalo entered 2026 with a new head coach and a new Highmark Stadium, opening another chapter in franchise history.
The Legacy of the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills’ legacy cannot be defined simply by their four Super Bowl losses.
Their history includes two AFL championships, four consecutive AFC championships, four straight Super Bowl appearances, numerous Hall of Fame players, one of the NFL’s most enduring fan bases and a franchise that has remained in Buffalo since its creation.
Ralph Wilson’s decision in 1959 to establish the team in Buffalo proved enormously significant. Wilson was the only original AFL owner to keep his franchise in its original city throughout his ownership.
The Bills survived periods when the franchise struggled on the field and periods when there were questions about its long-term future in Western New York.
The Pegula family continued that Buffalo connection after purchasing the team in 2014. The opening of the new Highmark Stadium in 2026 provides another physical symbol of the franchise’s commitment to Western New York.
From Jack Kemp to O.J. Simpson, from Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas to Josh Allen, the Bills have produced generations of memorable football.
Their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances remain unique. Their AFL championships established the franchise. Their Hall of Famers established its football pedigree. And the continued presence of the team in Buffalo has become perhaps the most important part of its overall story.
The Buffalo Bills are a franchise defined not only by the championships they won, but by the eras they created, the players and coaches who became legends, and a fan base that remained committed through both triumph and heartbreak.
Artie Fischal
