Our All Time Top 50 Buffalo Bills have been revised to reflect the 2025 Season
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Buffalo Bills.
As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, the Bills went 13-4 and had a deep run in the postseason, though it was disappointing, as they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. There were no new entrants, but two significant elevations occurred.
As always, we present our top five, which remains unchanged in that ranking.
1. Bruce Smith
2. Thurman Thomas
3. O.J. Simpson
4. Jim Kelly
5. Andre Reed
You can find the entire list here.
The reigning MVP, Quarterback Josh Allen, broke into the top 10 (at #10) from his previous rank of #21.
Tackle Dion Dawkins, who is on a four-year run of Pro Bowls, advanced to #28 from #41.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Our All-Time Top 50 Buffalo Bills have been revised to reflect the 2023 Season
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Buffalo Bills.
As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, the Bills again made it to the playoffs but again fell short, having been knocked off by Kansas City in the second round. The year gave us one new entrant and two elevations.
As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:
1. Bruce Smith
2. Thurman Thomas
3. O.J. Simpson
4. Jim Kelly
5. Andre Reed
You can find the entire list here.
Quarterback Josh Allen rose to #22 from #30.
Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs rocketed to #29 from #45. He is now with the Houston Texans.
The only new entrant is three-time Offensive Tackle Dion Dawkins, who first appears at #39.
Notably, Tremaine Edmunds has been dropped off the list.
We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.
Our All-Time Top 50 Buffalo Bills have been revised to reflect the 2022 Season
Yes, we know that this is taking a while!
As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Buffalo Bills.
As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:
1. Advanced Statistics.
2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.
3. Playoff accomplishments.
4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.
Last year, Buffalo made it into the playoffs, making it to the second round. 2022 yielded one new entrant to the Top 50, and one elevation.
As always, we present our top five, which had no changes.
1. Bruce Smith
3. O.J. Simpson
4. Jim Kelly
5. Andre Reed
You can find the entire list here.
Quarterback, Josh Allen, vaults eight spots to #30. This was the second year in a row that he led the NFL in Approximate Value.
The lone debut is Wide Receiver, Stefon Diggs, who enters at #45. He has been a Pro Bowler all three of his Bills campaigns.
We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.
The Top 50 Buffalo Bills of All Time
The Buffalo Bills are the only team in NFL history to make the Super Bowl four times. Granted, the team from Western New York lost on all four occasions but over time the accomplishments involved to get there are celebrated more and more.
At present, this list reflects accomplishments up to the end of the 2015 season.
The list is based on traditional metrics advanced metrics, length of service, popularity, and post season performance.
The complete list can be found here, but for those who are curious immediately as to who the top five are, we’ll grant that immediately:
1. Bruce Smith
2. Thurman Thomas
3. Jim Kelly
4. Andre Reed
5. O.J. Simpson
Which team are we working on next?
We will turn our attention to the diamond and the Washington Nationals.
4. Jim Kelly
Drafted 14th overall in the renowned 1983 NFL Draft class originating from Miami, Jim Kelly initially expressed reluctance regarding the prospect of playing in Western New York, choosing instead to sign with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. After two outstanding seasons within the spring league, the USFL ceased operations, prompting Kelly to relocate northward and join Buffalo in 1986. What commenced as a hesitant arrival ultimately evolved into one of the most celebrated bonds between a player and a city in sports history, as Kelly wholeheartedly adopted the blue-collar ethos of the region and became the cherished face of the franchise.
Kelly epitomized a formidable, physically robust pocket passer, embodying a linebacker’s mentality in the quarterback role. Serving as the field general for the innovative "K-Gun" offense, he exercised comprehensive control at the line of scrimmage, calling plays without a huddle to prevent opposing defenses from mounting effective countermeasures. Kelly demonstrated a rapid release, superior intermediate ball placement, and exceptional composure under pressure, consistently remaining upright in the pocket to deliver accurate throws just prior to receiving substantial hits.
Kelly made an immediate impact when he debuted with the Bills in 1986, passing for 3,593 yards and 22 touchdowns. He earned his first Pro Bowl in 1987 after guiding Buffalo to a .500 record, and secured another in 1988 as he led the team to a 12–4 record and an AFC East championship.
His prime years aligned with Buffalo's remarkable streak of four straight AFC championships from 1990 to 1993. In 1990, Kelly topped the NFL in passer rating (101.2) and completion percentage (63.3%) while leading the team to Super Bowl XXV. The following year, he delivered an outstanding 1991 season, earning First-Team All-Pro honors, leading the league with 33 touchdown passes, and setting a personal best with 3,844 passing yards. He earned Pro Bowl selections in 1990, 1991, and 1992, and was among the top five in MVP voting in 1990 and 1991.
Over his 11 seasons in Buffalo, Kelly led the team to six AFC East division titles and eight playoff appearances. He retired following the 1996 season holding every major franchise passing record, finishing his career with 35,467 passing yards and 237 touchdown passes across 160 regular-season starts.
In November 2001, the organization honored his legacy by inducting him into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame and retiring his No. 12 jersey, the first in team history to do so. The next year, Kelly was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
