Kim Pegula’s return to the field Saturday night was about more than a football practice. It was a rare public moment for the Bills co-owner, who appeared at the team’s new Highmark Stadium for the first time in more than two years.
After the Return of the Blue & Red practice, Pegula walked onto the field with her husband, Bills owner Terry Pegula, and their son Matthew. Terry held her hand as the family crossed the turf, then they paused near midfield for photos. Kim stood on her own for those pictures while Terry gestured toward features of the new stadium.
The appearance marked a notable step in Pegula’s recovery from the cardiac arrest and brain injury she suffered in June 2022. Her daughter, professional tennis player Jessica Pegula, detailed the health scare in a February 2023 essay for The Players’ Tribune. Jessica wrote that her father found Kim unresponsive after she went into cardiac arrest while sleeping at their Florida home, and that her sister Kelly performed CPR until paramedics arrived and restored Kim’s heartbeat.
"She saved her life," Jessica wrote.
Jessica said Kim spent about a week in intensive care and two weeks in the hospital before moving to an inpatient care facility to begin what she described as a long recovery. At the time of the essay, Jessica said her mother was dealing with "significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues," although she could read, write and understand well.
Kim later began making occasional public appearances. She attended Bills training camp in July 2023 in her first known public appearance since the cardiac arrest, then returned to camp on July 26, 2024, walking onto the field with assistance from Terry before helping break down the team’s post-practice huddle.
Saturday’s scene fit the moment. Terry and Kim Pegula bought the Bills in 2014 and kept the franchise in Western New York. Kim, 57, grew up in Fairport and remains a co-owner.
The event drew 51,807 fans and served as the first public team gathering at the Bills’ new $2.2 billion stadium. After practice, players’ families joined them on the field as the team stayed out to socialize and take photos. The Pegulas did the same.
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