The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the East Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Originally known as the Buffalo Bisons when they joined the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946, the team adopted the Bills nickname in 1947 and have maintained some form of red, white, and blue in their uniforms ever since.
The Early Years in the AAFC
The Buffalo Bisons were founded in 1946 as one of the charter members of the AAFC, a rival league to the more established NFL. The team’s original colors were navy blue and silver. However, after one season, the team’s owner James Breuil purchased the inactive Cleveland Browns franchise and used its name and colors of brown, orange, and white. This meant the Buffalo team needed a new identity, which it adopted in 1947 as the Buffalo Bills.
The earliest known images of Buffalo Bills uniforms from 1947 show the team wearing navy blue helmets, red jerseys with white numerals outlined in blue, and plain white pants. This introduced what would become the Bills’ signature colors of red, white, and blue in some form.
Entry into the NFL
After four seasons in the AAFC, the Bills and two other AAFC teams, the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers, were absorbed into the NFL in 1950. The Bills’ uniforms underwent only minor changes upon entry into the NFL. The jerseys remained red and pants white, but the helmets were changed to white with a navy blue center stripe flanked by red stripes. The jersey numerals also became solid red.
In the early NFL years, the Bills struggled on the field and at the gate. Looking to change their fortunes, the team changed its primary uniform color from red to white in 1957, leaving red only as an accent color on the helmets, stripes, and socks. This white and blue ensemble would become the basis of the classic Bills look for decades to come.
The Jack Kemp Era
More changes came in 1962 when the Bills introduced standing red buffalo logos on the white helmets, making them instantly iconic. The following year, the team reintroduced red jerseys as an alternate, now with blue numerals edged in white. These bold uniforms with the charging buffalo on the helmet were worn by star players like Jack Kemp, Cookie Gilchrist, and Billy Shaw and helped revive the Bills’ competitiveness in the mid-1960s.
| Season | Helmet | Jersey | Pants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 AAFC | Navy blue | Red with blue numerals | White |
| 1950 NFL | White with red and navy stripes | Red with white numerals | White |
| 1957-1961 | White with red and navy stripes | White with red numerals | White |
| 1962-Present | White with standing red buffalo | White or red with opposite colored numerals | White |
This table summarizes the evolution of Bills uniforms and colors during the team’s first 15 seasons.
The O.J. Simpson Era
The Bills modernized their look in 1974, incorporating more navy blue into the scheme. The standing buffalo logo was navy blue and the helmets featured a gray facemask. The white jerseys had navy blue stripes on the sleeves, while the red jerseys featured a navy blue outline around the numerals. These uniforms were worn by O.J. Simpson as he set numerous rushing records during his Bills career.
The Jim Kelly Era
In 1984, the Bills unveiled a new logo and uniforms featuring a charging blue buffalo and more prominent use of navy blue. Red was eliminated from the color scheme, except for the helmets’ striping. The blue “charging buffalo” logo became the team’s primary logo for the next two decades. The Bills enjoyed great success in these uniforms behind Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith, making four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990-1993, although they lost them all.
New Millennium, New Look
After the 2000 season, the Bills overhauled their uniforms again, reintroducing more red elements. The charging buffalo logo was changed to a white buffalo head, framed in red. Red trim and shadows were added to the navy blue helmets and jerseys. White pants were also added to the rotation for select games. Additional minor changes followed in 2011 and 2013.
Today’s Bills uniforms continue to feature a primarily blue and white color scheme accented by red. The longevity of these colors proves their popularity and strong association with the franchise. While modifications have occurred over the years, the Bills have essentially worn a combination of red, white, and blue since the team’s inception, establishing them as the quintessential Bills colors.
Conclusion
Tracing the history of Buffalo Bills uniforms illustrates how the team’s visual identity has evolved since its earliest days while retaining signature elements like the charging buffalo logo and the red, white, and blue color scheme. The Bills’ ability to modernize their look over the decades while maintaining connections to tradition has allowed the team to remain contemporary without abandoning the classic aesthetics long-time fans associate with the franchise. The red, white, and blue colors are now a key part of the Bills’ image and continue to capture the spirit of Buffalo football.