Bills Fans Among NFL’s Biggest Targets for Fake Jerseys

The NFL season is here and fans across New York are buzzing with excitement seeing the Buffalo Bills on the field. While football is supposed to bring fun and energy, there’s one thing putting a damper on the excitement: the price of team gear.

A brand-new NFL jersey can cost as much as $168. With the NFL and Nike rolling out new single-game “Rivalries” jerseys, the pressure to spend even more has only grown. For a lot of fans, that price tag feels out of reach.

The Rise of Counterfeit Gear

When official merchandise costs this much, many fans turn to cheaper online options sometimes without even realizing they’re buying fake products. These counterfeit jerseys, hats, and collectibles look great at first glance but usually come with poor quality, sizing issues, and no real connection to the team.

Get our free mobile app

A new study from InGame.com looked at more than half a million online conversations about fake NFL gear. It showed how frustrated fans are about paying big money for the real thing or being tricked into buying knockoffs.

Where Bills Fans Stand

For Buffalo Bills fans, the issue is very real. According to the study, the Bills rank 17th in the NFL for online conversations about counterfeit merchandise, with over 15,600 discussions.. About 15% of those conversations were negative, showing a lot of frustration about fake jerseys and other merchandise.

These conversations weren’t just happening in New York. Bills fans in Missouri, Texas, Florida, and California were also talking about the problem. Here at home, it’s clear that plenty of people are tired of feeling priced out of showing their team pride.

Not Just a Bills Problem

It’s not just Buffalo, either. The Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Giants all rank near the top of the list for fake merch conversations. Giants fans had more than 20,000 conversations about fake gear, with an average jersey price of nearly $160. The Jets weren’t far behind, with 19,500 conversations and an average jersey running about $139.

What This Means for Fans

People just want to cheer for their favorite team without breaking the bank. The growing counterfeit problem shows how desperate fans are for affordable, official merchandise. Until the NFL and retailers make it cheaper to get the real deal, the market for fake jerseys will keep thriving.