Austin emerging as NFL relocation option

A third NFL team could soon be in the cards for the State of Texas. The Buffalo Bills ownership team is looking to build a new stadium in Orchard Park, which is set to cost at least $1.1 billion. The Buffalo News reports that the Bills are looking for the public to foot an unprecedented 100% of the cash, though.

If the Bills do not have the funding for a new stadium, they could start looking to relocate. They have already made it clear to the State of New York that other cities across the country are happy to add an NFL franchise.

ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham has already heard of possible options for the Bills.

“An ownership source tells me that Austin is a possible destination — or threat — as one of the ‘other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it,'” Wickersham tweeted on Sunday.

Texas currently has two NFL teams with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. The last time the Longhorn State produced a Super Bowl winner was in 1996 when the Cowboys defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Texas, the newest member of the SEC, resides in Austin, too.

The Bills’ existing lease at Highmark Stadium expires in 2023, a large reason why rumors for a new stadium or relocation are surfacing.

The timeline for a possible move to Texas or anywhere is a ways away for the Bills. The ownership team is just beginning preliminary talks with New York and Erie County officials about the new stadium. They have told the State of New York there are other cities across the country that desire an NFL franchise.

No New York state official wants to have the weight of the Buffalo Bills leaving the state on their shoulders. The Bills have been an institution in western New York since they began in 1960. The Bills joined the NFL in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL merger. The franchise was a perennial contender for the Super Bowl in the early 1990s, making four-consecutive appearances.

Recently, Buffalo has had a resurgence. The Bills drafted quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. And last season they went 13-3, making it to the AFC Championship Game. And Bills fans are notoriously some of the most faithful in the NFL, earning the nickname Bill Mafia.

Relocation could become a serious conversation for the Bills if talks of a new stadium don’t improve. And Austin could be a serious contender.

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