Matt Johnson
The Buffalo Bills signed edge rusher Von Miller in 2022 with the hope that he could be the final piece that put them over the top. After suffering an ACL tear late last season, Miller’s return to the field will likely be delayed.
Miller, age 34, was very productive when healthy. He recorded 11 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks in his first nine games with Buffalo. The future Hall of Famer proved to be everything the Bills’ coaching staff hoped for and more.
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Unfortunately, Miller suffered a torn ACL against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 24. He immediately underwent surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear, but didn’t undergo season-ending surgery until December. The delayed procedure is likely going to be one of the reasons why Miller isn’t on the field in Week 1.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic wrote in his 53-man roster projection for the Bills that he expects Miller to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list based on the information made available by the team thus far.
If Miller remains on the PUP list into the regular season, he would be required to miss Buffalo’s fourth game. Only after the Bills played the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 1 would he be eligible to return to action.
However, there’s a possibility Buffalo could wait even longer than that. The NFL schedule sets up where the Bills will play their fifth game of the season in London on Oct. 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The organization might decide for Miller to not fly across the world for a single game, keeping him out an additional week for precaution.
- Von Miller career stats: 245 QB hits, 130 tackles for loss, 123.5 sacks
There’s a substantial impact on Buffalo’s defense when Miller isn’t on the field. When Miller player from Weeks 1-10, opponents averaged a 75.7 QB rating with a 9-13 TD-INT ratio and a 64.3 percent completion range. In Weeks 13-18, the average QB rating rose to 81.8 and quarterbacks posted a 7-4 TD-INT line.
If Miller misses time, it will happen during an important stretch of the Bills’ schedule. Buffalo opens its season against the New York Jets on Sep. 11 and it would later face the Las Vegas Raiders offense (Sep. 17) and Mami’s offense (Oct. 1). Playing without its top edge rusher would put more pressure on Buffalo’s offense to perform and its defense to avoid getting into a shootout.
While any absence would hurt the Bills in the short-term, the decision would be made with the team’s best interest in mind. Buffalo is a Super Bowl contender and the clearest path to competing for the Lombardi Trophy involves a healthy Miller. So, the Bills will make sure that Miller isn’t rushed back into action with the hope that it all pays off in January and February.
