The Buffalo Bills are currently focused on maximizing the talented roster they have largely been able to keep in tact for the last few seasons with the hope of finally getting past the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC to compete for a Super Bowl.
The Bills have made the playoffs six out of the seven seasons Sean McDermott has been leading the team since 2017. While he had his struggles during his rookie campaign in 2018, Josh Allen has led Buffalo to the playoffs every season since his inaugural NFL campaign, but hasn’t been able to get past the AFC Championship game.
In three out of the last four seasons, Allen and the Buffalo Bills have been knocked out of the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs — with the worst loss coming in 2020 in the AFC Championship.
Now heading into 2024, the Bills will look to compete for a Lombardi Trophy yet again, but Allen will have to find a way to produce at a high level without of his two biggest playmakers from recent years. Both Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs are now playing for other teams, so Buffalo is banking on rookie WR Keon Coleman producing right away.
Only time will tell if the Bills can finally knock off the Chiefs, but earlier this week, the organization made headlines for a new initiative focused on inclusion and diversity.
Buffalo Bills Sponsor Expansion Of National Gay Flag Football League
The Bills announced Tuesday the team will sponsor an expansion of the National Gay Flag Football League (NGFFL) in Buffalo, New York.
The team, which features the social media bio “Stop Hate. End Racism. Choose Love,” made the announcement via Instagram. That announcement included an image of the Bills logo colored after the Progress Pride flag.
“We’re proud to support the National Gay Flag Football League with a sponsorship to launch a league in Buffalo!” the team wrote on the official Buffalo Bills Instagram account.
NGFFL is a non-profit sports league founded in 2002 which hosts over 250 teams in 26 leagues across the U.S. The league “seeks to promote the positive social and athletic enjoyment of American flag football,” according to its website.
The league says it is inclusive to all identities and does not discriminate “on the basis of sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political beliefs, athletic ability, physical challenge, HIV status or gender identity.”
Former Buffalo Bills WR Cole Beasley Has A Problem With Former Team Sponsoring Gay Flag Football League
Former NFL wide receiver Cole Beasley — who spent three years in Buffalo after his first seven with the Dallas Cowboys — carved a niche in the league as a premier slot receiver, using his shifty footwork and route running to compensate for his small size and frame.
He finished his NFL career with 556 receptions for 5,744 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Beasley was always a player who spoke his mind about controversial issues and wasn’t afraid of the backlash, so it’s no surprise he publicly spoke out against the Buffalo Bills sponsoring a gay flag football league.
“We’re proud to support the National Gay Flag Football League with a sponsorship to launch a league in Buffalo!” the Bills social media team wrote on Instagram.
Beasley, who had two stints with the Bills, was perplexed by the move and took to X/Twitter to question it.
“But why?” he asked.
Great question Cole!” a user replied. “I’m questioning why I would want to watch the Bills play this year! Why can’t sports just be about sports?”
“It’s flag football. And the league has been around for decades,” another offered.
But This hardly comes as a surprise as Cole Beasley’s stance on homosexuality is well known.
As for the league, it plays according to standard flag football rules and is not 100 percent gay, as there are teams with heterosexual men. It’s clear the Buffalo Bills are making a push to be more inclusive and Beasley obviously doesn’t agree with the decision.