The wait is over in Buffalo, even if it comes with the preseason label attached. The Bills are finally set to take the field in a live game setting, and the first test comes against the Carolina Panthers in the new Highmark Stadium.
There will be plenty for the coaching staff to sort through, but the bigger picture is simple: it’s the first chance to see this group in action. Bills Mafia should give the building a real pulse, too, because even a preseason opener carries plenty of energy when Buffalo football is back on the field.
Carolina arrives with one exhibition game already in the books. The Panthers won the Hall of Fame game against the Arizona Cardinals, and now they get a Bills team that, on paper, brings more overall talent into this matchup.
Both Dave Canales and Joe Brady are planning to play their starters in some capacity, which should give fans a look at what those players have worked on since the offseason began. Just as important, the backups will have their own stage to make a case for roster spots before September rolls around.
For fans looking for the broadcast details, the game will air on Channel 4. It can also be heard on 97 Rock with Chris Brown and Eric Wood.
There’s also a little recent history between these teams worth remembering. Last season in Carolina, the Bills rolled to a 40-9 win. James Cook ran for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and Buffalo’s defense didn’t allow a touchdown until the fourth quarter.
The teams also met in the preseason in 2024, when the Panthers won 31-26. In that game, the only quarterbacks to see the field for Buffalo were Anthony Brown Jr. and Ben DiNucci, while Frank Gore Jr. topped 100 rushing yards and scored a touchdown.
After free agency, the NFL Draft and training camp, the Bills are finally back in game mode. It’s preseason, yes, but it still counts as football in Buffalo.
In Other News...
Bills Mafia Is Already Turning New Highmark Into A Scene
The Bills were only into their first preseason game at Highmark Stadium, and the atmosphere outside already had the familiar edge that comes with Bills Mafia. A journalist on social media reported that a fan tried to climb one of the bison statues near the stadium, a scene that fit neatly with the fan bases well-earned reputation for turning even a tune-up game into an event.
The statues outside Highmark include a large cow, bull and calf, though it was not clear which one drew the attention. Inside, there is also the broken table statue that has become part of the stadiums identity, another reminder that Bills fans do not just show up, they help define the place. Even before the regular season begins, the building already feels like it is surrounded by its own kind of tailgate folklore. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Have 4 More Extension Decisions Fans Should Be Watching
O'Cyrus Torrence is already off the board, and that matters for a Bills team that has spent plenty of time thinking about how to keep its core together. The right guards four-year, $78.4 million extension gives Buffalo a clear signal about where the front office wants to invest, and it also puts a spotlight on the next layer of roster planning as the club looks beyond the most obvious centerpiece deals.
The names worth circling now are Dorian Williams, Ty Johnson, Alec Anderson and Cole Bishop, each in a different spot but all part of the same long-range conversation. Their cases are tied to role, value and the way Buffalo projects them moving forward, which is why these decisions feel more like a roadmap than a list of imminent moves. The Bills do not need to rush any of them, but the way those situations develop will say a lot about how the team wants to shape its depth and keep its cost structure manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen And Bills Starters Signal A New Approach In Opener
Josh Allen is set to do something Bills fans have not seen from him in over two years when Buffalo opens the preseason against the Carolina Panthers at the new Highmark Stadium. Allen and other healthy starters are expected to play, a notable shift in approach under new coach Joe Brady as the Bills use the exhibition to get their top group on the field early.
For Allen, the chance to get live snaps in the new building carries more than just preseason value. He said he is ready to play and stressed the importance of getting comfortable in the stadium environment before the regular season, a practical step as Buffalo adjusts to its new home and a more hands-on tuneup plan. [Read more 🡒]