Overview
- The Buffalo Bills announced on Saturday, June 27, 2026, that Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli had decided Simpson is “not a fit” to be displayed inside the new Highmark Stadium or in the outdoor Family Circle plaza.
- Simpson was the first player placed on the Bills’ Wall of Fame in 1980 and remains a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but the team will open its new stadium without any plaques or mentions of him.
- The decision reflects decades of off‑field controversy, including his 1994 murder trial acquittal, a 1997 civil finding of wrongful death, a later armed robbery conviction, and the franchise’s previous steps to distance itself from him.
- The Family Circle will feature plaques and statues honoring other Bills greats and will be accessible to fans year round when the stadium opens for the 2026 season with a Sept. 17 regular‑season game scheduled.
- The move uses the stadium relocation as a clear reset point for how the Bills manage their public memory and could prompt renewed public discussion about when teams should separate on‑field achievement from off‑field conduct.