4 Reasons the Buffalo Bills should be concerned about Von Miller’s injury
By Kevin Devine
Miller’s age and rehab timeline leave the beginning of the season in question
Miller injured his right Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) on Thanksgiving Day during the Bills win over the Detroit Lions. After initially suggesting that he might be able to play through the injury or rehab in order to return late in the season, with initial reports indicating that the injury was to his lateral meniscus and not his ACL, Miller underwent exploratory surgery which revealed the ACL tear, and turned into surgery to repair the ACL on December 6, 2022.
The Bills and Miller have expressed optimism that he will be ready for the start of the 2023 season, which would be just ten months following his surgery. While ACL rehabilitation typically takes an estimated six to eight months, the time for a player to return to full strength can vary significantly, and is impacted by a number of factors.
Bills fans are very familiar with the extended time it has taken Tre’Davious White and O’Dell Beckham Jr. to return to their previous levels of excellence following ACL reconstruction. To count on Miller, to be at full strength while playing one of the most demanding positions in all of professional sports, just ten months following surgery is certainly a risk.
Further complicating matters is that this is Miller’s second ACL reconstruction on his right knee. While this is a factor that could have led to some of the difficulty and confusion in diagnosing the injury and return timeline last November and December, it also could lengthen his current rehab timeline. Miller previously ruptured this ACL in December of 2013. Providing some hope to Bills fans is that he did return to play all 16 games for the Broncos in 2014.
Miller, now 34 years old is seeking to return to being an impact player for the Bills on a very similar timeline to his first rehab nine years ago. For the Bills to succeed in 2024 as currently constructed, they will need Miller to play at full strength in significantly more than 16 games.