The Five Most Expensive Buffalo Bills Jerseys Ever Sold
The Buffalo Bills were founded as a charter team in 1960 as they were originally apart of the American Football League (AFL), and then they transitioned to the National Football League (NFL) in 1970 as part of the AFL and NFL merge that year. Fun Fact: the Bills got their team name from the All-America Football Conference franchise from Buffalo that was named after the western frontiersman Buffalo Bill, as much of the franchises fanbase comes from Western, New York. As of 2021, the Bills have won the AFC East division a total of 12 different times, they’ve made it to the Super Bowl a total of 4 different times, but lost each time. Even though the Bills don’t have any Super Bowl championships won, they did win the AFL championship twice in 1964 and 1965. The history of the franchise is littered with legendary players such as Bruce Smith, O.J. Simpson, Thurman Thomas, Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, and countless others. Because of their impact on the game can be measured in numerous ways such as memorabilia, endorsements, and revenue. Recently we’ve discovered that some of these Bills jerseys have been sold for extremely high amounts. Today we will take a look at the five most expensive Bills jerseys that have been sold to date:
5. 1992 Jim Kelly Game Worn and Signed Jersey – $4,290
Jim Kelly was a quarterback who led the Bills to 4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances and led the team to a record of 101-59 regular season record during his time wearing a Bills uniform. During his 1992 All-Pro season, Kelly passed for a total of 3,457 yards and he also was able to throw 23 touchdowns while leading the Bills to the AFC championship. Â He was able to complete 60.1% of the passes that he threw and was able to achieve a total of 35,467 yards while throwing a total of 237 touchdowns throughout his Bills career. Fun Fact: Kelly was also able to lead the Bills to a total of 22 4th quarter comebacks throughout his immaculate career. His jersey was sold as part of the Heritage Auctions as part of the Fall Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction that was held in Dallas, as the jersey sold for $4,290 and was sold on December 12th, 2020.
4. 1993 Andre Reed Game Worn and Signed Jersey- $5,190
Andre Reed was Jim Kelly’s favorite wide receiver target to throw to for his 15 year career wearing a Bills uniform. In 1993, Reed was able to tally 52 passes caught for a total of 852 total yards. Reed was the starting wide receiver during the Bills Super Bowl runs, as he was able to catch 941 passes for 13,095 yards and he had 86 scores with his 217 games that he was in the starting lineup for with the franchise. Fun Fact: Reed was able to obtain 27 receptions for a total of 353 yards in the Super Bowl, and because he was able to achieve such a thing, it places him among the best in the history of the NFL. His jersey was sold as part of the Heritage Auctions as part of the Fall Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction that was held in Dallas, as the jersey sold for a total of $5,190 and the jersey was sold on December 12th, 2020.
3. 1992 Thurman Thomas Game Worn and Signed Jersey – $6,300
Thurman Thomas was a running back who spent 12 years playing in a Bills uniform as he was able to gain a total of 11,938 yards, and he was able to score a total of 80 touchdowns and he average 4.2 yards per carry. Through the air, Thomas was able to add another 4,341 yards to his name, he added a total of 456 receptions, and he also added 22 touchdowns. Fun Fact: Thomas is one of 6 players in NFL history to accomplish the feat of scoring 60 rushing touchdowns, and scoring 20 receiving touchdowns. Thomas was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, as Thomas was a 5-time Pro Bowler, a 3-time All-Pro, and was awarded the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player award in 1991. His jersey was sold as part of the Heritage Auctions as part of the Fall Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction that was held in Dallas, as the jersey sold for $6,300 and the jersey was sold on December 12th, 2020.
2. 1973 O.J. Simpson Game Worn Jersey – $13,200
O.J. Simpson’s legacy may be ruined by the criminal activity he was apart throughout his life, but the contributions he made on the field helped the Bills be a successful franchise. In 1973, Simpson became the first ever player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a singular season, as he able to achieve running for a total of 2,003 yards, and to this day remains the only player in NFL history to have accomplished this feat. Simpson also won the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1973, and he also was awarded being the AP Athlete of the Year in 1973. In his 9 year career with Buffalo, Simpson average 4.8 yards per carry, he gained a total of 10,183 yards, he scored a total of 57 touchdowns, and he averaged 90.9 rushing yards per game. No matter what his off-field issues were, Simpson is still considered to be one of the greatest running backs to have ever played the game. His jersey was sold as part of the Heritage Auctions as part of the Sports Memorabilia Catalog Auction that was held in Dallas, as the jersey sold for $13,200 and the jersey was sold on May 17th, 2018.
1. 1994 Bruce Smith Game Worn Jersey – $16,800
Bruce Smith was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft out of Virgina Tech. Fun fact: Smith went on the record more sacks than any other player in the league’s history. In Smith’s 15 year career with Buffalo, he was able to record 941 tackles, 171 sacks, and he was able to create 35 forced fumbles with his defensive abilities. Another fun fact: Smith was able to obtain 15 fumble recoveries throughout his career, and on one of those fumble recoveries, he was able to score a touchdown for a total of 33 yards. Smith was also to record at least 10 sacks in 12 out of the 15 seasons he played with the Bills. Smith was able to make the Pro-Bowl a total of 11 times, and he was an 8-time first-team All-Pro, and he also won the AFC Defensive Player of the Award 4 different times throughout his career. Smith was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2009, and he was also inducted into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in 2008. His jersey was sold as part of the Heritage Auctions as part of the Fall Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction, as the jersey sold for $16,800 and the jersey was sold on November 20th, 2021.