The Buffalo Bills have made the decision to scrub OJ Simpson from the franchise’s display of all-time greats when they move into their brand new stadium.
The team confirmed on Saturday that the late Hall of Fame running back will be completely excluded from the upcoming Wall of Fame and the surrounding plaza.
‘We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and Family Circle,’ Bills COO Pete Guelli announced in a statement.
The Family Circle is set to serve as a massive fan plaza directly outside the main entrance, showcasing physical plaques honoring the team’s greatest legends.
Simpson, who passed away in 2024, originally became the very first inductee onto the Bills’ Wall of Fame when the franchise first established the honor back in 1980.
While the team didn’t remove him following his infamous double-murder acquittal, the upcoming stadium move provided a natural clean break for the franchise.
The Buffalo Bills have opted to scrub OJ Simpson from the franchise’s display of all-time greats
The team’s physical display of franchise greats will officially drop from 31 members down to 30
According to NBC Sports, the team’s physical display of franchise greats will officially drop from 31 members down to 30 as a result of the permanent erasure.
Despite his 1995 criminal acquittal, NFL icon Simpson was found civilly liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.
The decision to omit Simpson from the Bills’ new stadium display split opinion on social media. While some praised the team, others questioned the decision.
‘Some legacies are better left where they are,’ one fan wrote in support.
However, another user said: ‘You can’t write the history of the Buffalo Bills franchise without including its greatest player.’
‘This is absurd and unbelievable that you would erase a part of history like this’, another fan similarly wrote on the social media platform.
The running back was a dominant five-time first-team All-Pro and secured the NFL’s MVP award in 1973 after crossing the historic 2,000-yard rushing milestone.
However, Simpson became one of the most infamous figures in America after he was charged with the 1994 murders before an explosive court case that was watched by millions around the world.
‘We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and Family Circle,’ Bills COO Pete Guelli announced in a statement
Simpson was found civilly liable for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole and Ron Goldman
Recently, Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister called on the NFL to ban the No. 32 jersey that Simpson wore throughout his football career because it’s ‘triggering’ to her.
She told TMZ: ‘Every time I see someone on the field with that number, it brings me back and I have trauma.
‘I would love for the NFL to realize this is very triggering as a football fan as well. I hope they take my statement into consideration and get rid of the number 32.’
Simpson played 11 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Bills, after a standout college career with USC that saw him win the Heisman Trophy.
He was crowned both NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1973 and was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.
After retiring from football following two seasons with the 49ers, Simpson reinvented himself as an actor before Brown and Goldman’s murders.