The Buffalo Bills are gearing up for their first home game of the season as they take on the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. However, one of their former players will be making a big decision on Friday.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is retiring from the NFL and will announce his retirement as a New England Patriots player.
Gilmore Played in Buffalo for Five Seasons
The Bills drafted Gilmore with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of South Carolina and spent the first five seasons of his career there before heading to New England.
Gilmore signed with the Patriots in March of 2017, which turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life. He played four seasons in New England, made the Pro Bowl from 2018 to 2020, and won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award. He also played on a Super Bowl-winning team.
After leaving New England, he spent a season with the Carolina Panthers, then headed to the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He did not appear in an NFL game last season.
Gilmore doesn’t seem to have much love for Bills fans and took a shot at them in February of 2024.
“I just think that Bills fans, they’re more, like, old school, blue collar fans. That’s all there is to do in Buffalo is be a Buffalo fan, they’re ain’t much going on. Those fans have been there for years and I think the Cowboys fans is more worldwide,” Gilmore said, via Leigh Oleszczak.
Bills Will Open Their New Stadium
The Bills will officially open their new stadium on Thursday. Highmark Stadium has been used a few times this season for practices and preseason games, but it will officially open for regular games against the Lions.
Many people are excited about the new stadium, including Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is a native of New York.
“I have a great deal of pride in Western New York. But I also have a great deal of pride in the Bills, and how they’ve been able to work through and get the stadium in a great public-private partnership with the state, the county, and Terry Pegula and his team stepping up. I’m excited. I haven’t seen the stadium in a few months, but we saw some more pictures this week that have me even more excited. So I look forward to being there,” Goodell said in March, via Sal Capaccio.
Buffalo made major changes this season by opening a new stadium and bringing in a new head coach, Joe Brady. Hopefully, this is the season the Bills can finally reach the Super Bowl, and it would be exciting to do so in their first season in a new home with a new head coach.
Ex-Bills Defensive Star Announces Retirement With Rival Team Before Week 2