The Bills are making sure their first game at Highmark Stadium feels like a true event, and the biggest honor so far belongs to Bruce Smith.
Buffalo announced Smith as the first Legend of the Game for the home opener, unveiling the news with a video of Steve Tasker inviting him to take on the role when Smith first visited the stadium. The team called the moment “This moment is everything. 🥹”
Smith is the standard in Bills history. During his time in Buffalo, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year earned 11 All-Pro selections, including eight first-team nods, and made 11 Pro Bowls. He finished his Bills career with 181 sacks and ended up with 200 total sacks overall.
The tribute to Smith is only part of what Buffalo has lined up for the day. The team has packed the home opener with a long list of entertainment and appearances.
Before the game, The Pat McAfee Show will be broadcasting outside the stadium from the Family Circle area near the large bison statues.
Inside Highmark Stadium, the Bills have scheduled a full slate of music. Auliʻi Cravalho will sing the American anthem, while the Barenaked Ladies will handle the Canadian anthem.
Cravalho is a lifelong Bills fan and is best known for voicing Moana. The Barenaked Ladies are known for songs including “If I Had $1,000,000” and “It’s All Been Done.”
Halftime will feature OneRepublic, with the band set to perform for the crowd. Their best-known songs include “Counting Stars” and “Apologize.”
In Other News...
Bills Already Face A Stadium Concern Fans Did Not Expect
The Bills are already dealing with an early test at their new stadium, and it has nothing to do with the playbook. After just two preseason games, the team decided to replace the grass field because of major deformations and poor sod quality, a surprising development for a venue that was supposed to help usher in a fresh era in Buffalo.
NFL field expert Nick Pappas pointed to a mix of factors behind the trouble, including the quality of the sod, maintenance issues before the Bills grounds crew took over, and the new growing environment. Now the real challenge is immediate: the team has three straight home games to prepare for, and there is already a possibility the field could need another replacement later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Make A Week 1 Roster Call Fans Didn't Expect
The Bills are making a couple of early Week 1 adjustments that say plenty about how they want to open against Houston. Greg Dortch has been elevated to handle punt returns, giving Buffalo a player with plenty of NFL experience in that role after he was picked up following his release from Detroit. On paper, it is the kind of special-teams move that can quietly shape field position before the offense even gets its first real rhythm.
Frank Gore Jr. was also elevated, a decision that could point toward some backfield uncertainty entering the opener. Ty Johnson is listed as questionable, so Buffalo may be preparing for a scenario where it needs extra depth at running back before the Texans arrive. The roster shuffle does not answer every question about the Bills' Week 1 plans, but it does show the team is taking no chances with the first game of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Week 1 Move Reveals More Than A Routine Roster Call
The Bills first roster move of the season came with a little more substance than a standard Week 1 transaction. Buffalo elevated running back Frank Gore Jr. and wide receiver Greg Dortch from the practice squad for Sundays game against the Texans, a sign that the team is already leaning on its depth to get through the opener. Gore is needed because Ty Johnson is dealing with a hamstring injury, while Dortch gives Buffalo another option in the return game and some flexibility on offense.
Those additions also fit into a broader picture of how the Bills are lining up for Houston. Along with the elevations, defensive lineman T.J. Sanders and defensive back Jordan Hancock are listed as questionable, giving Buffalo a few moving parts on both sides of the ball before kickoff. For a team trying to start clean in September, the early read is clear: this is not just paperwork, it is a snapshot of how quickly depth can matter. [Read more 🡒]