Bills Digest: Schedule and Stadium Update

They won't play any games in Europe in 2022, but could have a deal soon for a new stadium in Orchard Park.

Buffalo Bills fans won't be traveling to Europe anytime soon or heading downtown anytime at all to watch their team play, according to reports.

The NFL announced its foreign schedule for 2022, and the Bills aren't on it. Meanwhile, according to a detailed report by The Athletic's Tim Graham, they are on the verge of announcing an agreement with the state and Erie County on a new stadium to be built across the street from the present one in Orchard Park, which would end all hopes of a downtown location that never was feasible because of infrastructure issues.

According to the report, no news is actually good news because it's a sign that posturing has stopped and an agreement is near.

Graham theorized that a deal may already be in place but that Governor Hochul is deliberately delaying the announcement to limit political backlash and give any potential opponents less time to formulate plans for that may hold it up.

An announcement could be coming as soon as this week.

Bottom line: A new outdoor stadium with a grass field is going to get built in Orchard Park one way or another, and even if the recently reintroduced federal "No Tax Subsidies for Stadiums Act" becomes law, nothing is going to stop it.

The Bills, in fact, have already begun preparations for building the new structure so they won't fall too far behind schedule when the agreement is finalized.

They had hoped to have a deal in place two months ago on a four-year project to complete a stadium with a capacity of around 60,000.

Their stance is that they won't sign an extension on their current lease with Highmark Stadium, which expires after the 2022 season, unless a deal is struck for construction of a new one.

So even though the the clock is running and the Bills are beyond their ideal deadline, adjustments are going to be made and the deal is going to get done.

General manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott will meet with reporters Tuesday here at the NFL Scouting Combine. Questions about the new stadium undoubtedly will be raised.

Stay tuned here to Bills Central for all the coverage.

Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.