Roger Goodell updates status of Buffalo Bills talks with state of New York

The Buffalo Bills continue to talk with the state of New York about a new stadium. On Wednesday, the NFL commissioner weighed in.

During his regular address to the media before the Super Bowl, Roger Goodell addressed the Bills’ talks with the state about a new home. A spokesperson for New York Governor Kathy Hochul told the Buffalo News “negotiations are ongoing,” but didn’t comment further.

Still, Goodell said a new stadium for the Bills would be necessary within the next five years.

“The bottom line on it is we have to get a new stadium in Buffalo,” Goodell told reporters, via ProFootballTalk. “The governor has recognized that. It’s got to be a public-private partnership. All parties are going to have to work together. That means the state, the county, the team and the NFL to be able to achieve that.”

Highmark Stadium opened in 1973 as Rich Stadium. New renderings for a new stadium include a roof, which would help with the cold winters in Buffalo. The Bills recently played a game against the New England Patriots in 25-35 mph wins and 55 mph gusts.

A new stadium would cost an estimated $1.4 billion, but it was left out of New York’s most recent budget, according to Front Office Sports. On the other hand, renovations would cost about $862 million, according to a study by the state of New York.

Goodell spoke in Los Angeles ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. That game kicks off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Roger Goodell informs NFL teams of investigation into integrity of game following Brian Flores suit

Last week, former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL. Saturday morning, commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to the 32 teams regarding an investigation into Flores’ accusations.

Goodell’s memo comes a few days after the NFL released a statement saying it would “defend against these claims, which are without merit.” Now, the league is seeking an outside investigator with more allegations coming out from other Black coaches.

“Racism and any form of discrimination is contrary to the NFL’s values,” Goodell stated. “We have made significant efforts to promote diversity and adopted numerous policies and programs which have produced positive change in many areas, however we must acknowledge that particularly with respect to head coaches the results have been unacceptable.”