Former All-Pro Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer isn’t siding with the franchise on this one. Speaking on NFL on CBS, Poyer addressed the wave of criticism aimed at the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium, backing fans who’ve complained about obstructed views since the venue opened.
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“Obviously, I do think that it’s fair for the fans to be concerned and to be vocal about what’s going on with their seats,” Poyer said on the show. “These fans pay hard-earned money to go to these games to support the team that they love. These Buffalo Bills fans are passionate about the game of football, and so I know I would be pissed if I spent X amount of money and I come to my seat and I see that I can only see half of the field.”
The scrutiny began on August 8, when the Bills welcomed 51,807 fans to the “Return of the Blue & Red” practice, the first public football event at the new stadium. Photos and videos from the event spread quickly on social media, with some fans showing partial views of the field affected by stairways, railings, glass barriers and other structural features in certain seating locations. The images prompted questions about whether fans had been given an adequate picture of the views from their seats before buying tickets or PSLs.
Poyer’s comments come after fans and reporters flooded social media with photos showing sightlines blocked by glass panels, staircases, and structural beams throughout the stadium’s upper deck. The better views might only be accessible to those who have paid for costlier seats.
The Bills have pushed back on the suggestion that obstructed views are a stadium-wide problem. Pete Guelli, the team’s president of business operations, said fewer than 1% of PSL holders had contacted the organization with sightline concerns. Guelli said the team believes its Virtual Venue preview tool accurately showed prospective buyers what they could expect from their seats, while adding that the Bills would review individual complaints.
“You build this new stadium, you want it to be right for everybody,” Poyer continued. “And yeah, you say, you know, purchase different tickets or this, that, but these might be the only tickets that I could afford, you know, and the prices have came up, you know, since I’ve been a season ticket holder for 15, 20 years, you know, at the old stadium.”
The criticism comes as the Bills’ new home, built at a cost of $2.1 billion, was intended to elevate the fan experience.
A recent Action Network study estimated that a family of four would spend $2,193.95 on a Bills game-day experience, the highest total in the NFL in its analysis. The estimate included $1,982.80 for four tickets, $132 for parking and $79.15 for food and drinks. The study drew on ticket-market data, including resale listings, so the total is not a fixed cost for every family. Still, it has added to the frustration among fans who believe expensive tickets should come with an unobstructed view of the action.
Jonathan Mallie, global director and managing director of Populous’ America services, which designed the stadium, defended the obstructions.
“You will find some level of obstruction in every stadium in the world,” he told Buffalo News’ Michael Petro. “The goal was to bring everybody closer to the field and create an upper deck with an incredible proximity and presence within the bowl to help create a next level experience for Bills Mafia.”
Despite his criticism of the seating issues, Poyer made clear he isn’t down on the stadium as a whole.
“It’s a new regime, it’s a new stadium, it’s a beautiful, beautiful stadium,” he said. “I haven’t been on the field, but I’ve seen it in person. It’s a beautiful stadium.”
Mallie’s explanation centered on design trade-offs. Populous placed some stairways on the outer edge of the seating bowl to preserve open, 360-degree views from the concourses and reduce congestion as fans move through the building. The firm also designed the stadium with a steeper, more compact bowl intended to bring spectators closer to the field and create a louder atmosphere.
Those choices can improve the overall feel of the building, but they have also left some spectators questioning whether the views from particular seats justify the price.
For Poyer, the complaints are not about turning against the new stadium. He sees the bigger picture but believes the concerns from longtime Bills fans deserve to be taken seriously. With the season approaching, the hope is that the seating issues can be addressed before they become a bigger problem for the people filling those seats every Sunday.