2012 Buffalo Bills season

The  Buffalo Bills season will be the franchise's upcoming 43rd season in the National Football league, the 53rd overall and the third under head coach Chan Gailey. The team hopes to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999, currently owning the NFL's longest playoff drought at 12 seasons.

2012 is the final year on the Bills' current lease with Ralph Wilson Stadium as well as the final year on the current Bills Toronto Series agreement. The league has approved an additional five-year extension of the Toronto series, extending through 2017, on the condition that the Bills and Rogers Communications come to an agreement extending the series, a condition that both sides have indicated willingness to do. The Bills and the league are demanding significant and expensive renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium as a condition of renewing the stadium lease. The Buffalo News reported renovations could top 200 million dollars.

Offseason
On January 2, 2012, one day after the conclusion of the season, George Edwards was fired from his position as defensive coordinator. Edwards had been the defensive coordinator for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Former NFL and college head coach Dave Wannstedt was promoted to defensive coordinator. (Bills head coach Chan Gailey had been the offensive coordinator under Wannstedt in 2000 and 2001, when Wannstedt was Miami's head coach.)

In his annual season-ending press conference, general manager Buddy Nix laid out his priorities for the offseason. Nix stated that the team was eager to re-sign wide receiver Stevie Johnson, kicker Rian Lindell and offensive tackle Demetrius Bell. Johnson and Lindell were successfully re-signed; Bell was signed by Philadelphia. He also stated that he wanted to re-sign running back Fred Jackson and have him retire as a Bill. Jackson whose contract ran through the end of the 2012 season was having a career season before a mid season 2011 injury. Johnson renewed his contract with the Bills for five years and $36.2 million on March 5, 2012.

On March 15, 2012, the Bills made the biggest free agent acquisition in team history, signing all-pro defensive end Mario Williams to a contract worth $100 million over six years, with $50 million guaranteed, the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history. The recruiting of Williams took place over three days, starting with general manager Buddy Nix and defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt escorting Williams to Buffalo in a private jet. Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was also part of the recruiting.

On March 21, 2012 Mark Anderson, who had 12.5 sacks with the Patriots over the 2011 regular season and playoffs, has signed a four-year deal with Buffalo. With announced plans to switch to the 4–3 defense the Bills could field Mario Williams at left end and Anderson on the opposite side in passing situations. Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus will anchor the middle of the defensive line.

On May 11, 2012 the Bills made yet another high profile signing by signing QB Vince Young to a one year contract to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick. Young was the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

2012 Draft
Notes:
 * undefined The team acquired an additional fourth-round selection (#124 overall) in a trade that sent wide receiver Lee Evans to the Baltimore Ravens.
 * undefined The team acquired an additional fifth-round selection (#147 overall) as part of a trade that sent running back Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks.
 * undefined Compensatory selection.

Undrafted Free Agents
Stanford safety Delano Howell, Missouri State running back Chris Douglas, Virginia Tech cornerback Cris Hill, Colorado State offensive lineman Paul Madsen, Florida State punter Shawn Powell, Texas offensive lineman David Snow, Penn State safety Nick Sukay, Mercyhurst safety/long snapper Ian Wild, Texas A&M linebacker Garrick Williams and Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp. Corp was later released.

Broadcast Changes
On January 4, 2012 it was announced that Bills radio broadcasts would be changing from Cumulus Media to Entercom. Cumulus broadcast games on 103.3 WEDG and 96.9 WGRF from 1999 to 2011. Entercom will broadcast games in Buffalo on 550 AM WGR and 96.5 WCMF and 950 AM WROC in Rochester.

On June 12 WGR and the Bills announced the creation of a show that will air year round, Monday through Friday, starting July 26, 2012 hosted by John Murphy.

The lone Thursday Night Football broadcast during the 2012 season will be simulcast on WBBZ-TV. Bills cable games had, for the past several years, been carried on WKBW-TV; WKBW is still slated to carry the Bills' preseason games.

Schedule
The Bills' preseason opponents and schedule will be announced in the spring. As in previous years, the final preseason game is expected to be against the Detroit Lions.

One of the Bills' two preseason home games was to be held in Toronto as part of the Bills Toronto Series, but because of schedule conflicts between the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts, who held home games in all four weeks of the NFL preseason, there were no dates available at the stadium, and the game was moved back to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Schedule
LEGEND:
 * Bold indicates division opponents.
 * undefined The game will be simulcast locally on WBBZ-TV.
 * Royal blue indicates the Bills Toronto Series.
 * Indicates that the game time and network are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling. 