Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is expected to miss most of the 2024 NFL season after suffering a biceps injury in practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday.
Milano was injured an individual drill Tuesday. He was limited to five appearances in 2023 before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Schefter noted the 2022 First Team All-Pro selection will undergo surgery with hope of returning to the Bills lineup by December.
It’s the latest setback in an injury-riddled career for the 30-year-old Boston College product.
Matt Milano Expected to Miss Most of 2024 Season
Bills May Use Committee Approach to Replace Milano
Just like last season, it’s unlikely Buffalo will be replicate Milano’s production with any single replacement. The team is probably going to rotate Dorian Williams, Nicholas Morrow, Baylon Spector and Deion Jones to fill the massive void.
The problem is Milano operates as one of the NFL’s best sideline-to-sideline linebackers when healthy. None of those reserve options come anywhere close to his peak ability. So, it’ll be interesting to see if the Bills lean more on experience with Jones and Morrow or the upside of Williams and Spector.
Edefuan Ulofoshio could be the X-factor. He was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft in large part because of his raw talent. That said, his top-end playmaking ability give him potential the other depth pieces don’t possess.
Ultimately, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his role steadily increase throughout the season with hope he could be a full-time option by year’s end. That’s especially true if Milano doesn’t end up returning despite the initial December timetable.
Milano’s Future Clouded by Injury History
Buffalo learned last year how hard it is for veterans to return from serious injuries. Von Miller, once the NFL’s most feared pass-rusher, was virtually useless in his first season back from torn ACL. A body in its 30s doesn’t recover as quickly as one in its early 20s.
Milano has been consistently banged up throughout his career. Along with the past two seasons, he landed on injured reserve with a broken fibula in 2018 and a pectoral injury in 2020. All those various ailments take their toll over time.
In turn, even if the versatile linebacker returns in December, it’s impossible to know what level he’d play at. His play throughout camp was solid. But still wasn’t at the game-changing level fans had come to expect when he was fully healthy.
The potential for him to miss the entire campaign is real, and then the Bills will be forced into a tough decision on a defender who’s coming off two straight injury-plagued years and a contract that’s set to pay him over $16 million in 2025 and 2026.
In other words, his future in Buffalo is far from certain after the latest setback.
Terrel Bernard Must Step Up Again
Bernard emerged in a major way last season. He provided the Bills defense with some much-needed stability during Milano’s absence. Now he’ll have to do it again.
The dynamic linebacker tallied 143 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, five passes defended and three fumble recoveries while playing all 17 games. Now, aside from quarterback Josh Allen, he’s probably the team’s most indispensable player.
His challenge is even tougher this time around. The longtime safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer is gone. So, the over-the-top support he could always count on over his first two NFL seasons won’t necessarily be there in 2024.
If Bernard can help keep the Bills defense afloat anyway, he might find himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation by year’s end. If he struggles, Allen and Co. will probably have to score a lot of points to keep Buffalo in contention.
Main Photo Credit: Syndication: Democrat and Chronicle
