The Buffalo Bills have decided to exclude O.J. Simpson from the franchise's historical displays at their new stadium, including the upcoming Wall of Fame and its surrounding plaza. The team confirmed the decision on Saturday.
Simpson, who died in 2024, was the first player inducted onto the Bills' Wall of Fame in 1980. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Bills, following a successful college career at USC where he won the Heisman Trophy. In 1973, he was named NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. He was also a five-time first-team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.
Bills COO Pete Guelli stated, "We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and Family Circle." The "Family Circle" is described as a large fan plaza located outside the stadium's main entrance, intended to feature plaques honoring the team's notable players.
This move means the team's physical display of franchise greats will be reduced from 31 members to 30. The decision to omit Simpson, despite his 1995 acquittal in a criminal trial for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, comes as the team transitions to a new venue. He was later found civilly liable for their deaths.
"Some legacies are better left where they are," one social media user commented in support of the team's decision. However, others expressed disagreement, with one user stating, "You can’t write the history of the Buffalo Bills franchise without including its greatest player." Another fan remarked, "This is absurd and unbelievable that you would erase a part of history like this."
Recently, Nicole Brown Simpson's sister publicly requested that the NFL consider banning the No. 32 jersey, which Simpson wore, citing it as "triggering" and a source of trauma. She expressed a hope that the league would consider her statement and retire the number.