Aptly-named Bills UDFA assigned perfect jersey number

Undrafted free agent guard Keaton Bills will wear No. 60 for the Buffalo Bills. You can't make this up.

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah offensive lineman Keaton Bills (OL08) during the 2024 NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

You simply can’t make this up.

And frankly, why would you make this up? The premise is too esoteric, too absurd, too ‘on-the-nose’ to work in fiction—which makes the fact that it’s occurring in reality that much more entertaining.

Utah guard Keaton Bills fell through the cracks of the 2024 NFL Draft after a reliable five-year stint in Salt Lake City, signing with, objectively, the funniest possible team as an undrafted free agent.

The Buffalo Bills.

Related: Intriguing guard with fitting name dubbed Bills' UDFA with best shot at roster

It’s a signing that makes as much sense from a football perspective as it does from a marketing one. Bills, though largely unspectacular throughout his time with the Utes, was solid, grading as a stout run blocker at left guard while simultaneously being productive in pass protection. He allowed just three sacks throughout his collegiate career, per Pro Football Focus, earning honorable mentions on the All-Pac-12 team in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Buffalo has historically valued offensive line depth under general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott; though Bills is a long shot to make the team’s 53-man roster given the crowded nature of the room, Buffalo obviously sees something in the Utah native, and he currently projects as a prime practice squad candidate.

And though the primary motivation for the signing is rooted in football, the team is cashing in on the inherent marketing potential. Upon formally putting pen to paper on Thursday, Bills was assigned, in hindsight, the only uniform number that makes sense—No. 60, a number representative of the year the Buffalo Bills were founded.

Bills on the Bills. 😂 pic.twitter.com/NJgsIDsOt1

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) May 10, 2024

The Bills commenced operations in 1960 as one of eight teams in the then-upstart American Football League (AFL); Buffalo actually participated in and hosted the first game in AFL history, a July 1960 preseason matchup between the Bills and Boston Patriots at War Memorial Stadium. Buffalo went 5-8-1 in the AFL’s debut campaign; it would ultimately better its fortunes throughout the league’s 10 seasons in operation, winning back-to-back league championships in 1964 and 1965 under the leadership of head coach Lou Saban and quarterback Jack Kemp. The AFL would merge with the NFL before the start of the 1970 season.

Bills’ jersey is perhaps going to be the most sought-after undrafted free agent merchandise in Buffalo history, as his uniform is representative of the entire franchise’s history and legacy. Fans will have their first opportunity to see it in action on Friday as the team’s rookie minicamp commences.