In 2022, the Buffalo Bills swung for the fences and signed Von Miller to a six-year deal worth $120 million to help get them over the Super Bowl hump. Well, we're now entering year three of that contract and while Miller had a solid first year in Buffalo, his 2023 season left something to be desired.
In 2022, Miller had 8.0 sacks in 11 starts before suffering a knee injury that sidelined him for the remaining six games and the ensuing playoffs. In 2023, Miller appeared in 14 total games (including the playoffs) and didn't have a sack to his name. He missed the first chunk of the season due to recovering from that knee injury and then was a healthy scratch late in the year.
I’m told by a Bills source Von Miller being inactive was a coach’s decision and not due to any injury setbacks or legal developments.
— Tim Graham (@ByTimGraham) December 31, 2023
Bills fans always knew that Miller's impact on this team would be at the beginning of the contract and that he probably wouldn't get through the entire deal. Miller was 33 at the time this deal was done and hopefully for fans' sake, he still has something left in the tank despite turning 36 in March.
While speaking to the media at the Combine on Tuesday, Bills GM Brandon Beane said that he expects Miller to be the same guy the Bills thought they were getting when they signed him.
#Bills GM Brandon Beane has positive outlook on Von Miller, says he should be able to get back to his pre-injury self.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2024
Miller’s deal carries $32M in 2024 dead money. Translation: Most likely not going anywhere.
Bills LB Von Miller likely not going anywhere this offseason
Miller, a former second overall pick by the Denver Broncos in 2011, spent a decade with the team that drafted him and helped them win a Super Bowl in the 2015 season. He was the Super Bowl MVP in that game. As the Broncos went into a tailspin, Miller's production remained the same but in 2021, the Broncos traded him to the Los Angeles Rams where Miller got his second Super Bowl ring.
Miller signed with the Bills to help them win a Super Bowl but now the team is likely stuck with him for at least one more year. This is why it makes sense for Beane to say that he expects Miller to be productive again but the sad reality is that it might not be realistic for him to become that player again. He's entering his age-36 season and did not look like the same dominant guy during the 2023 season.
Hopefully, Brandon Beane is right and the Bills can get something from Von Miller in 2024. Maybe, just maybe, he can get his third Super Bowl ring while the Bills get their first. That'd be the perfect ending for his career.