We know the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans are going to enter new stadiums in the not-so-distant future. The Bills, who’ve played at Highmark Stadium since 1973, are slated to have their new venue open up in 2026.
As for the Titans, they’ll continue playing at Nissan Stadium through the 2026 season before moving into their new home field for 2027.
As for the Chicago Bears, nothing is official and there’s no firm timeline on this, but they also look poised to move out of Soldier Field and into a stadium in the Arlington Heights area very soon.
We know that much, but which eight stadiums are poised to be demolished and replaced after these three? We think we have an idea after peering into our crystal ball.
FedExField (Washington Commanders)
Let’s start with the obvious, shall we?
Having opened in 1997, FedExField is barely over half-a-century old. And yet it’s far-and-away the NFL’s worst stadium — and perhaps the worst professional sports venue in all of North America.
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The field quality is crappy. The stadium, which is located in Landover, Maryland, is in a strange area that makes public transiting a giant hassle. And if you can’t transit to the game, you gotta pony up the big dollars for parking. Yay.
Previous owner Dan Snyder cared about no one but himself, so that meant not putting in the necessary resources to keep this stadium up-to-date. Who can forget the multiple water leaks the stadium endured in the 2021 season? Or how about when the barrier from the away team’s tunnel broke apart, causing several fans to fall down and nearly crush Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts?
Fortunately, Snyder is on his way out as Washington’s owner. Now it’s on the next regime to find a new stadium. Officials in Virginia have pushed hard for a deal on securing the Commanders’ next home.
As long as it’s anywhere but FedExField, I’m sure the entire NFL community will be happy. Washington’s devoted fanbase suffered enough crap under Snyder and his run-down stadium.
Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)
This is one of the most energetic and passionate sporting venues in the world. Chiefs fans who’ve had the luxury of seeing games here surely never want to see Arrowhead Stadium demolished and replaced.
But at the end of the day, money talks. A new stadium means more seats, an enhanced gameday experience and an increased willingness from fans to spend more money to see the new stadium. All of this speak volumes to NFL owners, plain and simple.
And when the Clark family eventually finds the path to a new, state-of-the-art stadium, they’ll most certainly jump on the opportunity.
Soldier Field and Lambeau Field are the only NFL stadiums older than Arrowhead, which opened way-back-when in 1972. By the time the Chiefs’ lease with the stadium expires in 2031, however, Arrowhead will be pushing 60 years of age.
In other words, it’ll probably be time for a new stadium for the Chiefs. Their national exposure is at an all-time high with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid leading the way. A new stadium is the last thing this golden franchise needs to capitalize on its growing popularity.
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins)
Hard Rock Stadium is the sixth-oldest NFL venue. Here’s a random but fun fact for you: It’s the only active NFL Stadium that opened in the 1980s.
The five stadiums older than Hard Rock — Soldier Field, Lambeau Field, Arrowhead, Highmark Stadium and the Caesars Superdome — all opened long before the Dolphins’ home stadium.
Since 1996, the Miami Hurricanes’ college football team has also played their home contests here.
Hard Rock Stadium opened its doors in 1987 and has somehow lasted nearly four decades. It was also the home of the Florida Marlins baseball team from 1993 to 2011, before they moved to a new ballpark in Miami and rebranded themselves as the “Miami Marlins.”
Six Super Bowl games have been played here, most recently Super Bowl 54 between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in 2020. It played host to WWE’s WrestleMania 28 pay-per-view event and is also used annually for college football’s prestigeous Orange Bowl game.
There’s a lot of history, to be sure, but eventually it will be time for Hard Rock Stadium to be replaced. The structure is outdated, the field quality is meh and the field location in Miami Gardens isn’t exactly the most convenient for commuting.
Furthermore, there aren’t many eateries, restaurants or recreational sites within walking distance of the stadium. In an ideal world, the Dolphins and city officials will find a good location for a new stadium closer to the downtown Miami area.
From a sentimental standpoint, fans will have a tough time saying goodbye to one of the most storied active professional sports venues. But Hard Rock Stadium is behind the times, and needs to be replaced at some point in the next decade or so.
M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens)
The Ravens agreed to a 15-year extension on their lease with M&T Bank Stadium that will run through the 2037 season. The stadium, which opened in 1998, obviously isn’t that old. I mean, it opened the same year Jim Carrey’s hit film “The Truman Show” was released!
But by the time the Ravens’ lease with M&T Bank Stadium runs up? The venue will be closing in on its 40th birthday. So who knows, it might even be the longest-standing NFL stadium by then?!
Compared to every other stadium, M&T Bank Stadium sits near the bottom in terms of glamor, features and gameday experience. Nothing about the stadium sucks particularly, but there’s also nothing about it that really stands out.
Most stadiums that were constructed before the mid-2000s simply weren’t built to last all that long. Come talk to us in 15 years, but as of this time, we’d be quite shocked if M&T Bank Stadium — or whatever the venue is called by then — remained the Ravens home venue entering the 2040s.
Surely, the good folks of Baltimore will be embracing a brand new stadium by then…right?
Cleveland Browns Stadium (Cleveland Browns)
Previously known as “FirstEnergy Stadium”, this venue opened in 1999 — coinciding with the Cleveland Browns’ reactivation.
So again, this venue isn’t all that old in terms of age. But it’s certainly outdated compared to all the younger stadiums, and it only feels like a matter of time until city officials give in and flash a thumbs up for a new field.
In 2023, it was reported that the Browns were planning to undergo $1 billion in stadium renovations. Even if that happens, it doesn’t mean Cleveland Browns Stadium is here to stay forever.
The stadium has endured its fair share of issues, from cracked concrete to plumbing issues to a damaged roof. The renovations may temporarily bring the stadium more up-to-date, but 10 to 15 years from now? Yep, a new stadium with more modern features will be long overdue. And it’s not like the Haslam family can’t afford it.
We’re not saying the Browns will have a new venue in five years. We’re just saying that it’ll be one of the next eight stadiums to get demolished and replaced.
Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati Bengals)
Like their inner-state rivals in the Cleveland Browns, the Bengals’ home venue is barely over two decades old. Paycor Stadium, known as Paul Brown Stadium for its first 23 years of existence, only opened in 2000.
The Bengals’ lease with Paycor Stadium runs up in 2026. Hamilton County officials have discussed two notable options: Either renovate the rapidly-ageing stadium or replace it all together.
Paycor Stadium isn’t a terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad venue by any means. The main complaint about the stadium is actually the field quality, which the NFLPA openly ripped during the 2022 season.
But Paycor Stadium is also lacking in signature features. We know owner Mike Brown has been cheap for as long as he’s owned the club, but the Bengals are entering a golden era with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Ticket prices are thus only going to continue surging, and attendance will remain at an all-time high for years to come.
The Bengals, like the Chiefs, are entering the early peak stage of their national exposure and following. At some point, it’s going to be time for ownership and city officials to get a brand-new, futuristic stadium to complement this franchise that’s in the middle of a renaissance.
Paycor Stadium can work as the Bengals’ main venue for another decade or so. But before we know it, this stadium will be among the NFL’s oldest. It doesn’t carry historical value like Lambeau Field, and it’s not shiny-newish and futuristic like most of the stadiums that have been built over the last decade or so.
So yes, it will be time for Paycor Stadium to be replaced within the next decade and a half.
TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville Jaguars)
You’re always hearing ‘90s kids make jokes about how old they are. Now, what if we told you that TIAA Bank Field opened in 1995 — coinciding with the Jaguars’ inaugural season? And what if we also told you that it’s the seventh-oldest NFL stadium? Hard to believe, we know.
In 2013, Jaguars owner Shad Khan received the green light for the stadium to undergo $63 million in renovations, and $20 million of it came out of his own pocket. The changes included swimming pools and two giant video boards — measuring 362 feet in length —, bringing the stadium a little more up-to-date at the time…
But fast forward to the present day, and local officials have called for more hefty renovations. In fact, it has been reported out of Duval County that renovations could cost anywhere from $600 million to $1 billion dollars. Big yikes!
Why spend that much on a near-three-decade-old stadium when the Jaguars could just get a brand new stadium with even more slick features? Not to mention that TIAA Bank Field has been cited for over 100 violations regarding its concessions.
Sounds like a rundown stadium that needs to be replaced. We know the stadium underwent some pricey renovations a decade ago, but life comes at you fast in the NFL.
Not like Khan and his family can’t afford a new stadium. Not to mention they could continue to use it for other premier events like NCAA football games and All Elite Wrestling pay-per-views — which the Khans also own, by the way!.
Just make sure the next stadium has those swimming pools and giant video boards, and those who dig TIAA Bank Field will have no complaints about their new building whatsoever!
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Raymond James Stadium opened in 1998. We know it’s not an antique like Lambeau Field or Soldier Field…but it kinda looks like it’s just as old as those other storied venues, doesn’t it?
In terms of structure and field quality, Raymond James stadium doesn’t have any notable issues. It’s just ugly looking, to be quite honest. It’s not at the same level of hideousness as Tropicana Field, but that’s not the point.
There have been talks about Raymond James Stadium getting a retractable roof, which is a good idea since Tampa Bay is a tropical weather hotspot. It would be a cool new feature for this outdated stadium, for sure…
But why spend all that money on a retractable roof when you can build a shiny new stadium – in a glamorous area like the Sunshine State — with its own retractable roof? Don’t tell us the deep-pocketed Glazer family can’t afford it…
Raymond James Stadium has hosted two Super Bowls — Super Bowl 43 and Super Bowl 55. Of course, the Bucs hosted and won the latter against the Chiefs in the 2020 season. So of course there will always be sentimental history here for Bucs Nation.
But Raymond James Stadium simply doesn’t have any attractive features for the new-age fans. The only thing to really like is the pirate ship, but that also doesn’t do a whole lot. And no one said they can’t just bring the ship over to their next stadium!
We’re also just using the logic card. The older stadiums are more likely to be replaced than the much younger and newer stadiums. Even if Raymond James Stadium lasts another two decades, age alone is a good reason to think that this will be one of the next eight NFL venues to be demolished and replaced.
