The Buffalo Bills defense will get a big boost on Sunday with star defensive end/outside linebacker Von Miller making his season debut.
Miller was listed as active ahead of the Bills’ Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, indicating that the eight-time Pro Bowl selection will play in his first game since suffering a torn ACL during Buffalo’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Detroit Lions last season. The Texas A&M product missed Buffalo’s final five regular-season games of the 2022 campaign and the first four games of the 2023 season before returning to practice this past week.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Miller will in fact play against Jacksonville on Sunday, but the Bills “will be smart and careful with how they use him.”
The three-time first-team All-Pro’s return to the field should provide a boost to a Buffalo defense that ranks second in scoring (13.8 points) and that has allowed the sixth-fewest yards per game (288.0) this season. Additionally, the Bills enter Sunday tied with the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks for the most sacks (16) this season.
Miller signed a six-year, $120 million deal with Buffalo ahead of the 2022 campaign, shortly after winning the second Super Bowl of his career as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. He tallied eight sacks in 11 games with the Bills before suffering the season-ending injury.
After Miller’s status for Sunday was first made public, many took to social media to celebrate the 34-year-old’s return to action.
https://twitter.com/BillsMafiaGirl/status/1710988191589626024
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.