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Quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills celebrates after the 48-19 win over the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, U.S., December 19, 2020. /CFP
The NFL wants the Buffalo Bills to stay in the city in a new stadium in the future, said Commissioner Roger Goodell at Jim Kelly's celebrity golf tournament on Monday.
"You've got to think long-term here. This has been going on for decades, and it's time to get a new stadium done that we can make sure the Bills are here and successful for many, many decades going forward. We're focused on keeping the Bills (in Buffalo) in a new stadium in a public, private partnership. That's what this is all about, and that's where we're focusing," said Goodell.
The Bills are currently using Highmark Stadium near Orchard Park in New Tork as their home stadium, and their lease will be up in 2023. The team's owners, Kim and Terry Pegula, have proposed building a new stadium that will cost $1.4 billion across the street.
However, before that can happen, a deal with Erie County, where the new stadium will be located, must be reached, and "the city of Buffalo and the state are going to have to decide if they want a team," according to Jim Wilkinson, Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) spokesperson.
A panoramic view of Highmark Stadium, home to the Buffalo Bills, during the training camp in Orchard Park, New York, U.S., July 31, 2021. /CFP
Goodell said he would discuss the Bulls' stadium every time he traveled to Buffalo since the 1990s. Back then, the discussions were more about renovations, which Goodell called only a temporary fix.
"We're certainly beyond that. I think a new stadium is what's needed. I think it's going to require a public, private partnership. I think the Bills, the community and the NFL are all going to have to come together and do that in a smart way," said Goodell.
Highmark Stadium is the fourth-oldest stadium in the league, and the Bills have been playing there since 1973. The current lease was signed by the Bills in 2013 and Erie County, as the owner of the stadium, has spent over $200 million renovating the stadium since then. But according to Wilkinson, the cost of renovating and modernizing Highmark Stadium can be as much as $1 billion, and any renovation talks are "over."
Goodell said the new stadium should be "built for Buffalo" and "fit Buffalo."
