Bills host Olympic gold medalist, former WWE signee on visit

The Buffalo Bills hosted former WWE superstar and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson on a visit Wednesday.

Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen /

Gable Steveson may soon be bringing his Olympic gold medal to Western New York.

Ryan Talbot of NYUpstate reports that the 23-year-old amateur wrestler was in Orchard Park to visit the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday; the 6-foot-1, 265-pound athlete won an Olympic gold medal in men’s freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo games (which took place in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

After initially not reaching out, the #Bills brought Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist, in for a visit today.

Thoughts #BillsMafia ? https://t.co/wiK67uZAN3 pic.twitter.com/vc3fyMX20e

— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) May 15, 2024

One of the most decorated and dominant collegiate wrestlers of all time, Steveson finished his four-year stint at the University of Minnesota with an 85-2 record, going undefeated throughout his final three wrestling seasons. He finished first in his weight class at the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling National Championships in his junior and senior years.

Steveson was pursued by several organizations in various fields following the conclusion of his collegiate career, with the Bills reportedly reaching out to him in 2021. He signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that summer, performing in their developmental NXT territory for a few years before being quietly released earlier this year.

Related: 2024 NFL Schedule Release Tracker: How Bills' schedule is shaping up

Buffalo’s interest makes sense given the team’s past reported interest and head coach Sean McDermott’s experience with amateur wrestling; a back-to-back national prep wrestling champion in high school, the sideline boss has oft-spoken about his adoration of the sport and the qualities it breeds in its competitors, demonstrably having a penchant for targeting players with amateur wrestling experience.

Steveson does not have any known prior football experience; given his build, size, and (obvious) strength, he likely projects as a defensive lineman, more specifically a tackle.

Steveson was arrested in 2019 for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman. He never faced criminal charges due to “inadequate evidence,” per the AP.