Buffalo Bills Stadium Update: Optimism From Commissioner Goodell

He painted with broad strokes while reminding everyone that the team is still on the clock.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday expressed optimism on the progress of negotiations for a new football stadium in or near Buffalo, but gently reminded everyone that the clock is ticking on the complicated project.

Goodell claimed that Highmark Stadium, the Bills' current home in Orchard Park, probably has no more than five years of useful life.

"I'm encouraged by the progress that's being made both at the state level and county level and with the club," Goodell said at his annual Super Bowl news conference. "... The Governor [Kathy Hochul] has stepped into a very difficult challenge because when she came into office, not only is the lease up in another year, but the stadium has been studied by experts and it's reaching [the end of] its useful life for that stadium. It probably has no more than five years, according to many of those studies."

Hochul and owners Terry and Kim Pegula have stated their preference to build an outdoor stadium in Orchard Park adjacent to Highmark Stadium. But an indoor structure has not been ruled out. And despite feasibility studies that point to a suburban location, a downtown Buffalo location remains a possibility.

Roger Goodell praised Gov. Kathy Hochul's work on #Bills stadium negotiations but didn't have much to say. Lots of buzzwords and talking points: Encouraged by the progress that's being made ... public-private partnership ... a lot to negotiate ... not disappointed in the timing. pic.twitter.com/LcnqOMMQQt

— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) February 9, 2022

"The bottom line on it is we have to get a new stadium in Buffalo," Goodell said. "The Governor has recognized that. It's got to be a public-private partnership. All parties are going to have to work together — the state, the county, the team and the NFL — to be able to achieve that.

"She's shown great leadership in bringing the parties together, looking how to do that. We have shared as much as we can with all parties, But there's a lot to negotiate here, not just how this is done, but also the lease. So I'm not disappointed in the timing, necessarily. I'm more interested in making sure that we balance everything fairly and put ourselves in the best position of really giving the fans what they deserve in Western New York, which is a stadium that's new and can serve the purposes of that community for several decades."

The Pegulas will sign an extension on the Highmark Stadium lease only if an agreement can be reached on a new stadium. Otherwise, the prospect of the Bills playing at another location like Toronto or Penn State, while the new stadium is being constructed, remains a possibility.

If an agreement ultimately cannot be reached on a new stadium that includes significant public funding, the Bills will make a permanent move to another city, because building a stadium entirely with their own money is out of the question.

So while time remains for an agreement to be reached, the Bills, their fans, New York State and Erie County remain on the clock.

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.