The death of Ralph Wilson has created uncertainty about the future of the Bills in Buffalo, but the team will be conducting business as usual until and if the team is sold.
That was the message from the team on Thursday when they announced that Wilson’s widow Mary will take over as the controlling owner of the team with her husband’s death.
“I have complete confidence in Russ Brandon, our President and CEO, to continue his duties of running the organization. General Manager Doug Whaley and Head Coach Doug Marrone remain empowered by Russ to run the football operation,” Mary Wilson said in an announcement from the team.
Selling the team is still in the plans, however. The team also announced that a process will be established regarding the sale of the franchise “at the appropriate time” and that the process will be “faithful to NFL rules and to its obligations to New York State and Erie County.”
A window to move the Bills opens after the 2019 season when the buyout to leave Ralph Wilson Stadium drops to $28.4 million. A move would be impractical if not impossible before that point and it seems likely that the Bills will have different ownership by the time that date rolls around.
[Photo credit: BuffaloBills.com]
