What to expect from the Buffalo Bills on Hard Knocks
By Andy Davies
In 2025, the Buffalo Bills will be the latest team to feature on Hard Knocks.
It was announced this week that they will be the annual training camp focus on the show, which first aired in 2001.
This is the first time that we will see the Bills be the focus on the show, and here’s what we can expect from their appearance on the NFL Films on HBO product.
Bills Mafia on display
The city of Buffalo is the second largest city in New York State but has earned itself a reputation of being one of the smaller cities to own a sports team in America.
The city of Buffalo lives for one thing, their Bills.
Their fanbase has developed a reputation as being one of the most hardcore, showing up no matter the forecast.
The ‘Bills Mafia’ are the most dedicated fanbase in the league, and their ritual of jumping on folding tables has become legendary. However, unless you have been to a Bills tailgate or game, you will not know just how dedicated this fanbase is.
You see coverage on the television but it is only partial footage. With Hard Knocks coming to town, expect to see a focus on the fanbase.
Whether this is a focus on their long period of suffering, the four straight Super Bowl losses, the 13 seconds against the Kansas City Chiefs or the small city reputation, there may well be an episode or part of one where they delve into the long-suffering nature of the team in their quest to finally lift the Lombardi Trophy.
In the past, Hard Knocks has shown teams hosting open practice sessions in the offseason. This is often a chance to see NFL fans of the team in focus and their interactions with players. This will be another opportunity to see just how this Bills fanbase operates.
Josh Allen behind closed doors
For the first time in Hard Knocks history, they will have a training camp focus featuring the reigning MVP.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen won his first MVP award after an impressive 2024 season. He recorded 3,731 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 531 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns and just six interceptions.
This was just in the regular season alone. He added a further four passing touchdowns, 636 passing yards, four rushing touchdowns and 105 rushing yards in the playoffs, without throwing a single pick.
The highlight of his season came against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13. In a 35-10 win, Allen made history. He became the first quarterback since 1970 to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and catch for one.
Allen is not a flashy quarterback, coming from a small school in Wyoming. He is known for having an older taste in music, with his pre-game playlist featuring Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr.
He has recently come into the spotlight, announcing his engagement with actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld. This year’s Hard Knocks will give NFL fans the chance to see Allen behind closed doors, something we have not seen before.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS THE SUPER BOWL, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS.