The Bills are still counting on their veteran linebacker to make a late-season return. Coach Sean McDermott told reporters that the Bills still see a path where linebacker Matt Milano plays during the 2024 campaign (per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic).
The coach added that Milano continues to move “in the right direction” as he recovers from a torn bicep. McDermott also noted that Milano continues to have an impact on the current squad, with the coach lauding the player’s leadership during the rehab process (per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg).
“There is [hope that he’ll return],” McDermott said (h/t Kyle Silagyi of SI.com). “I don’t know a lot of the detail, I just kind of know a big-picture view of Matt. He’s moving in the right direction, I see him every day. He’s one of the leaders on our football team, and I’ve even felt that more this year even than I did last year.”
Even if Milano is able to take the field this year, it will still prove to be a second-straight lost season for the veteran. Milano suffered a fractured leg as well as a knee injury in Week 5 of the 2023 season, ending that campaign prematurely. The veteran was able to return in time for this year’s minicamp, but he then suffered a bicep injury during training camp that’s kept him on the shelf for the entire 2024 campaign.
Another significant injury was a tough blow to Milano ahead of his age-30 season. Despite the ongoing injury issues, the Bills still slapped the linebacker with an IR-Return Designation, a sign of optimism from the organization. While the Bills shouldn’t expect a whole lot from the veteran, he would provide a fresh body to the LB depth chart. Dorian Williams has been the only consistent for the Bills at the position in 2024, with Baylon Spector filling in whenever Terrel Bernard has been knocked out of the lineup.
The last time he played in a full season, Milano earned his only career All-Pro nod after finishing with 99 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three interceptions (including a pick-six). That performance helped earn the linebacker a two-year extension that would keep him in Buffalo through the 2026 campaign. Unfortunately, the Boston College product might not see the end of that pact. As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News writes, Milano and his $16MM cap hit for the 2025 campaign will lead to plenty of speculation about his roster status heading into the offseason.