Bills Sign Son of Their 1992 First-Round Pick to Rookie Contract after 2026 NFL Draft

Like father, like son as the old saying goes. Such is the case in the Fina household.

Likely not by coincidence, rookie offensive tackle Bruno Fina plays the same position that his father John did over the course of 10 years with the Buffalo Bills.

Now, one-quarter century after John Fina played his last season for the Bills, the 24-year-old Bruno Fina has a chance for an "amazing" accomplishment. The younger Fina has agreed to an undrafted rookie contract with Buffalo with WGR reporter Sal Capaccio sharing the news first.

The elder Fina, who remains active amongst the fan base through the use of social media, reposted the news report while adding "What a day ! !!! Proud of you kid !"

What a day ! !!!
Proud of you kid ! @BrunoFina1
Welcome to #billsmafia again ! Born and Bred !
Roman in absentia. @Rfina70 pic.twitter.com/52LAh6NuO4
— John Fina (@JohnFina) April 26, 2026

Bills' Hall-of-Fame running back Thurman Thomas, who played eight seasons with Fina, publicly celebrated the news, too.

"Congrats @JohnFina Amazing," said Thomas in a X post.

Bruno Fina's chances to make Bills' roster

After graduating from UCLA, the younger Fina spent his final two seasons of eligibility competing for Duke. He made 26 starts at left tackle for the Blue Devils.

As an undrafted free agent, who is far from being one of the more athletic tackles in the class, the 6-foot-5 Fina faces an uphill battle to stick around. While the fundamentally-sound tackle is a roster longshot, there certainly a chance he could earn a practice squad spot.

Sep 25, 2021; Stanford, California, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Bruno Fina (75) during the second quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

It has the potential to unfold similarity to the most-recent father-son tandem to suit up for the Bills. Running back Frank Gore Jr., who signed an undrafted free agent contract in 2024, made his NFL debut in the playoffs this past January after spending two full seasons on Buffalo's practice squad.

Frank Gore Sr. played the 2019 season for the Bills - his second-to-last before retiring. The edler Gore, a 2005 third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers, rushed for 16,000 yards over his 16-year career. He ranks fourth all-time in NFL history.

John Fina's legacy

The 57-year-old Fina was the No. 27 overall selection in 1992 following the Bills' second straight Super Bowl appearance.

The left tackle became a full-time starter in 1993, holding that position into 2001. Fina made 148 regular season appearances for the Buffalo, including 131 starts.

He appeared in 12 Bills' postseason games, including Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, with his last playoff start being the Music City Meltdown on January 8, 2000.

Jan 30, 1994; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Buffalo Bills tackle John Fina (70) takes the field during player introductions for Super Bowl XXVIII against the Dallas Cowboys at the Georgia Dome. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

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