Bills fans are divided with the opponent in the home opener

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 4: Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions lines up during the first half of the NFL football game against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field on January 4, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images) | Getty Images On Monday afternoon, it was officially announced that the Buffalo Bills would host the Detroit Lions on Amazon Prime’s first Thursday Night Football game of the season on September 17.

This game will take place during the second week of the 2026 season, as the Bills play their first regular season game at the new Highmark Stadium. As many would expect, the announcement that the Bills would host the Lions was met with mixed reviews on social media. Some fans were unhappy that the game would be played on a Thursday night, with the opener taking place on a short week for the Bills.

Others questioned why the league would select an NFC opponent, while some felt it should have featured an AFC opponent (Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, or New York Jets). Personally, I was excited to see the Lions would be the opponent for the home opener. The Bills 48-42 victory in the 2024 season was one of the most entertaining games in recent history, and I have to imagine that came into play when making this schedule.

The Lions feature plenty of stars in Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Aidan Hutchinson, which should provide an enticing matchup. While I am happy with the Bills opener in the new stadium, I understand that our readers may have different thoughts.