Buffalo Bills All-Pro LB expected to return to form after season-ending leg injury

Few players in professional football…when we are healthy– have more impact than Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano.

He is simply a game-breaker, a rangy defender who embodies what front offices are looking for in the modern linebacker. He’s sticky in coverage, effective as a passer, his nose for the football makes him a walking threat on big plays – he’s simply one of the best players in the league at his position.

When he is healthy.

And that caveat, unfortunately, has weighed on Milan throughout his career, as outside support struggled to stay on the pitch. He has missed games in all but two of his seven professional seasons, with his ailments often relating to his hamstring and lower body in general. He has suffered two season-ending injuries throughout his career: a fractured fibula during the 2018 campaign and a fractured tibia last year.

Buffalo executives apparently expect the former All-Pro to make a full recovery, as his moves at linebacker during the offseason were generally insignificant; the team signed depth defender Nicholas Morrow as a free agent before drafting Washington linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio in the fifth round, with both players projecting as special teams players.

The Bills expect Milano to return to form alongside third-year star Terrel Bernard, a sentiment echoed by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report. The analyst recently wrote an article outlining realistic expectations for NFL stars returning from serious injuries, projecting 91 tackles, two sacks, 13 tackles for loss, one interception and one forced fumble for the soon-to-be 30-year-old.

“The good news is that Milano’s injury did not result in any ligament damage,” Knox wrote. “Given the timing of the injury, it would be surprising if the 29-year-old was not on the field for the first week.”

Related: Second-round safety ‘starting from scratch’ at Bills rookie minicamp

The ample projected production roughly matches the rest of Milan’s career despite Buffalo’s defensive turnover this offseason; the linebacker’s career highs in tackles, interceptions and sacks are 101, three and 3.5, respectively, without ever setting those highs in the same season.

“Milano should stand out again in Buffalo’s defense, although the spectacular plays we saw in 2022 (3 INT, 1 TD) might not happen as frequently,” Knox said. “The Bills parted ways with several veteran defenders this offseason, including Jordan Poyer, DaQuan Jones and Micah Hyde.” (Editor’s note: Jones re-signed with the Bills on a two-year contract).

“It may take some time for Buffalo’s revamped defense to return to where it was last season, where the team finished ninth in total defense and fourth in points allowed. Milan, however, should be the same reliable defender he has always been.

Buffalo will lean heavily on Milano in the 2024 NFL season, as given the offseason departures of Poyer, Hyde and cornerback Tre’Davious White, he is the team’s longest-tenured defensive starter. The unit has long literally revolved around Milan given its impact in midfield; perhaps it will now also revolve around him, as he evolves from a splash game specialist to a trusted veteran presence.