This past week, Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula announced that they plan to seek “full funding” for a new stadium that would be paid for by Buffalo taxpayer money. Their proposition – which was solely centered around a taxpayer purchase – was submitted, followed by an announcement from the Pegulas that caused negotiations to become a little more serious.

The Pegulas stated that if the proposition can’t be accepted, then they would look into a relocation process that will more than likely land them in Austin, Texas. The real question is – are they truly serious about the move, or are they simply using this as leverage to get the deal done?

In most cases, teams take this route when it comes to building a new stadium. It happened with the Indianapolis Colts before Lucas Oil Stadium was opened in 2008. It is a way for them to receive the money they want for the stadium, while not having to pay for it themselves. In this instance, the Pegulas have no intentions of paying a single dime of the $1.5 billion proposed project.

On the other hand, relocations have been very beneficial for organizations. The Los Angeles Rams are a great example of this. In 2015, the year before they made the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, the Rams were 28th on Forbes’ most valuable teams list. Fast forward to 2021, they are now ranked the 4th most valuable team. They have made an increase in value of $2.2 billion, from $1.8 billion in 2015 to now being worth $4 billion. The Las Vegas Raiders is another team that is trending upwards since relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas. In 2015, the Raiders were ranked the 31st most valuable team, compared to the 16th most valuable team in 2021. The only team ranked below the Raiders in 2015’s most valuable team list – the Buffalo Bills.

It is no secret that the Bills, despite seeing a lot of success in recent years with the additions of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs, are not an enriched franchise. According to Forbes, the Bills are currently the least valuable team in the NFL with a value of $2.27 billion. While this may seem like a large number, in actuality it is very small compared to other NFL teams. Looking at these numbers, should the Pegulas really make a move to Austin, Texas into consideration?

If you look at the other two teams that are located in Texas, it is very evident that the Lonestar State is the place to be. The Dallas Cowboys are ranked the most valuable team in not only the NFL, but in all of sports. The Houston Texans are ranked number 11, despite all of the current issues within the franchise. And adding in the success that the Buffalo Bills have had in the last two seasons, the Bills could be leaving a lot of money on the table should they stay in Buffalo.

In reality, there is no way that the Bills Mafia will allow the team to go anywhere but Buffalo. You can look at any website, any tier list, anywhere you would like, and they would all have the Buffalo Bills ranked as the number 1 fanbase in all of football. Again, adding their recent success to this, there is not a single chance that the Bills will play anywhere other than Buffalo when their stadium deal with Highmark is up in 2023. However, don’t find it shocking if the Pegulas decide to pack up and make the move.