The Bills are a much better team when Matt Milano is on the field. That isn’t a profound, deep statement. Instead, it’s just a fact, and the hope is that he can be 100 percent healthy for the 2025 season because the defense desperately needs him.
Buffalo had the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked defenses in scoring during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, which just so happened to be the best years of Milano's career. They desperately need him to play at a high level to get back to that spot.
However, his inability to stay on the field has cost the Bills in several different ways. Milano missed most of the regular season last year after tearing his bicep during training camp in August. He was forced to go on the injured reserve list, but did make it back for the final four games of the season.
Now that he is fully healthy entering the 2025 season, what should we expect from the former All-Pro linebacker? In a recent article by Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the seven veterans who should have bounce-back seasons in 2025. That list included Milano, who has played just 544 snaps over the last two seasons for the Bills. But here is why Buday and PFF are optimistic that he can return to his Pro Bowl form this season:
"(Milano) appeared in seven games last season and reminded fans of his potential with a standout performance in the wild-card round against the Broncos, earning an 86.3 PFF grade. Milano recorded PFF overall grades below 45.0 in three of his seven appearances, including a rough showing in the AFC championship game against Kansas City. For context, he had just two such games across 17 outings in 2022. Despite these post-injury struggles, Milano, who just turned 30, remains capable of playing at a high level. Before the injuries, he was widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top linebackers."Zoltan Buday, Pro Football Focus
Injuries are obviously the concern here, as Milano has had a major problem staying on the field for most of his career. But when he is healthy, there aren’t very many linebackers in the league who are better than him. He’s a playmaker, and his ability to find the football and make key stops is what makes him a special player.
If Milano can get back to the level that we saw in 2021 and 2022, the Bills could be incredible on defense. He is the most important player on that unit, and he can take the whole defense to another level with his instincts and range. It’s now or never for Milano, and the Bills are counting on him to regain his form this year. If he does, he might be the missing piece to help Buffalo finally get over the hump.