The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The Patriots play home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston. The franchise is owned by Robert Kraft, who purchased the team in 1994. As of 2023, the Patriots are tied for the third most valuable sports team in the world and have sold out every home game since 1994.
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and was a central contributor to the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019. In his final three seasons, he was a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time.
William Stephen Belichick is an American sports analyst and football coach. Widely regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he holds numerous coaching records, including the record of most Super Bowl wins (six) as a head coach, all with the New England Patriots, along with two more during his time as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, for a record eight combined total Super Bowl victories as coach and coordinator. A renowned American football historian, Belichick is often referred to as a "student of the game" with a deep knowledge of the intricacies of each player position. During his tenure with the Patriots, Belichick was a central figure as the head coach and de facto general manager during the franchise's dynasty from 2001 to 2019.
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State University, where he won Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and was selected by the Patriots first overall in the 1993 NFL draft. Considered the face of the Patriots franchise during his nine seasons with the team, Bledsoe helped improve New England's fortunes from 1993 to 2001. Under Bledsoe, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, clinched their division twice, and made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He was also named to three Pro Bowls and became the youngest quarterback to play in the NFL's Pro Bowl game in 1995.
Robert Kenneth Kraft is an American sports executive and businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development, and a private equity portfolio. Since 1994, Kraft has owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He also owns the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS), which he founded in 1996, and the esport-based Boston Uprising, which Kraft founded in 2017. He has an estimated net worth of $11.1 billion dollars according to Forbes.
Frederic Charles Smerlas is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A five-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills, he also played for the San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots.
Alan Keith Branch is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, and New England Patriots. He played college football at Michigan.
Kyle Chandler Arrington Sr. is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Hofstra Pride. Arrington was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He was also a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.
Qualin Dont'a Hightower is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Patriots. Hightower played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, receiving consensus All-American honors and winning two BCS National Championships. Selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the Patriots, he was named to two Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowl titles.
Julian Francis Edelman is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the New England Patriots. He started playing college football at College of San Mateo and later transferred to play college football for the Kent State Golden Flashes as a quarterback and was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Patriots, where he transitioned to a return specialist and wide receiver. Edelman became a primary offensive starter in 2013 and was a staple of the Patriots' receiving corps until his retirement after the 2020 season.
Robert Gronkowski is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played his final two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is a four-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection, and was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Devin McCourty is an American former football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. Missing only five games during his Patriots career, McCourty received two Pro Bowl selections and was also a member of three Super Bowl-winning teams. McCourty also has the most postseason starts for a defensive player. His twin brother, Jason McCourty, also played in the NFL. Since leaving the NFL in 2022, he has served as a commentator for NBC's Football Night in America.
Donald Jones is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Youngstown State. He was also a member of the New England Patriots.
Joseph Lere "Lee" Smith is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Marshall University, and was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. In late January 2022 he announced he would retire from the NFL.
Nathan Ebner is an American former professional football player who was a safety and special teamer in the National Football League (NFL). He was a rugby sevens player for the United States national rugby sevens team.
Michael B. Gillislee Jr. is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Florida. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Logan Daniel Ryan is an American former football defensive back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at Rutgers as a cornerback and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Ryan also played for the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Malcolm Terel Butler is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Butler played his first four seasons with the New England Patriots, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and spent his next three seasons with the Tennessee Titans. After retiring ahead of the 2021 season, he returned to the Patriots the following year, but was released when he suffered a preseason injury.
Jacob Hollister is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football at Wyoming. He has been a member of the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL).
