The new Buffalo Bills stadium will have big hidden benefits for Josh Allen and his teammates

The Buffalo Bills have a trick up their sleeve to gain even more of a competitive edge at their new Highmark Stadium, set to open for the 2026 season.

The exterior of the new stadium will reportedly be lined with vertical and perforated steel panels that will help keep players and fans warmer than the sometimes cold temperatures of Western New York.

These panels will also slow down the win when it floats over the stadium or is stopped completely.

The new stadium is not a dome, but the panels will create an ‘air bubble’ for the Bills’ home field, per Tyler Webb.

That’s not the only hidden advantage the Bills plan to unleash, as they will install the same natural grass surface at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field to handle colder weather.

The grass has wirelessly controlled heating, irrigation and SubAir systems, which should also help ensure that the playing surface is never at freezing temperatures.

The Buffalo Bills have released new renderings of their ongoing NFL stadium project

Josh Allen is already one of the best players in the NFL, and his team could use more help

A photograph showing the progress of the new stadium construction as of December 2023

Buffalo has the second lowest average game temperature in the NFL, behind only the Packers.

Several efforts over the years to shovel tons of snow out of Highmark Stadium for important games have taken place, with one as recent as last year’s divisional showdown against the Chiefs.

The Bills’ current stadium in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park opened in 1973 and is the fourth-oldest stadium in the NFL behind Chicago’s Soldier Field (1924), Green Bay’s Lambeau Field (1957) and Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium (1972).

Since opening 51 years ago, the current stadium – previously named Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium and New Era Field – has undergone two major renovations in 1998 and in 2013.

It should be noted that the capacity of the new stadium is set to be 62,000 – much less than the current venue’s capacity of 71,000.

The stadium is being built by the architectural firm Populous – which has previously built several NFL stadiums, including Gillette Stadium, M&T Bank Stadium and NRG Stadium. They have also designed several football venues such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Emirates Stadium and the new Wembley Stadium.

The Bills will continue to play in their current stadium on Sunday when they host one of this year’s divisional playoff games against the Baltimore Ravens.