Bills QB checks out new stadium construction

It’s only fitting that Josh Allen recently checked on the construction progress of the new Highmark Stadium; after all, it could be legitimately argued that it is one of the main reasons it exists.

The Buffalo Bills’ need and desire for a new stadium is well documented; its current site, the 51-year-old Highmark Stadium, is the fourth oldest in the league, long establishing itself as a functional, if not simple and unspectacular, structure in a league whose stadiums are increasingly elegant and more focused on amenities. The team and the county have made efforts to find a new site in the past, with those efforts largely failing before significant progress was made.

Fortunes changed in March 2022 when the Bills, Erie County and New York State reached an agreement to build a largely taxpayer-funded outdoor stadium directly across the street from the current site of Buffalo; the new stadium will even adopt the name of the current structure when it opens in 2026.

Related: Bills QB Josh Allen compared to this 5-time NBA All-Star

And while Allen didn’t play a direct role in the negotiations, his mere existence was likely a catalyst in the deal. The quarterback has become one of the best players in the league since being selected by the Bills in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft: Best players lead to wins on the field, wins on the field lead to more people attending games, more people. going to games leads to more people spending money around the stadium, and more people spending money around the stadium leads to a stronger local economy.

That’s at least the working (and objectionable) theory that New York State and Erie County have likely subscribed to while trying to secure the Bills’ long-term future in Western New York. Described by the State of New York as “a proven economic engine for the Buffalo region,” the Bills are an important part of the local economy, which is only amplified by Allen’s presence and success; Although relocation was never a realistic outcome, it would have been put on the table by the team’s owners, and there likely would have been governments across the country willing to foot the bill to lure Allen and the Bills in their city.

A deal was finally reached and construction began in the summer of 2022. It has progressed well over the past two years as it moves closer to its 2026 completion date, the eventual 62,000-seat structure at least starting to resemble a football stadium. Allen recently checked out his future digs, surprising construction workers with a site visit in early May.

The North Atlantic States Carpenters Instagram account recently shared photos from Allen’s visit to the platform, writing: “When you’re a union carpenter building an NFL stadium and the quarterback stops to register and thank you. Good to see you, Josh Allen.

Allen will likely set many of the team’s initial records at the new stadium once it opens, as he is currently signed through the 2028 NFL season (a deal that will likely be extended). long before its expiration date). He will likely become the team’s all-time leading passer in the ballpark, as he is currently third in franchise history for all-time passing yards with 22,703 (behind Jim Kelly (35 467) and Joe Ferguson (27,590)).

It wouldn’t be egregious to call the new Highmark Stadium “the house that Josh Allen built”; it is completely natural that it has at least some support in its construction.