On October 28 , 1959 the Buffalo Bills officially became the seventh AFL team .
He named his new team the Bills , after a previous team that had played in the All - America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 .
On October 28 , 1959 the Bills   officially became the seventh AFL team .
He named his new team the Bills , after a previous team that had played in the All - America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949 .