Getty Von Miller on the field during a Buffalo Bills game.
The Buffalo Bills believe Von Miller will be back for the 2024 season, with general manager Brandon Beane sharing what appeared to be a cryptic prediction that his legal issues will go away.
Miller had a turbulent season in 2023, struggling to regain his previous form after returning from an ACL tear and later in the season facing a charge that he assaulted his girlfriend. Despite some speculation that the Bills could cut ties with Miller if the league issued discipline on the assault allegations, the Bills have remained committed to the veteran edge rusher and Beane discussed plans for a full return next season.
Bills Expect Von Miller’s Legal Issues to Resolve
Speaking to reporters this week at the NFL Combine, Beane shed new light on the allegations against Miller. He hinted that the team had full knowledge of the situation from the beginning and expressed optimism that it would soon be resolved.
“We’re pretty confident in what we know hence we didn’t any kind of drastic moves at the time,” Beane said, via SI.com. “We know what we know and unless we’re presented with something different … we don’t see anything that would alter Von being back. We expect it to go away.”
Miller had been accused in November of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend. The Dallas Morning News reported that Miller turned himself in to Glenn Heights police while facing a charge of assault of a pregnant person.
Miller vehemently denied the charges, and his girlfriend later joined in denying the allegations.
“WFAA has obtained the 911 call placed by NFL star Von Miller’s girlfriend on Wednesday, which led to his Thursday arrest,” the news outlet WFAA shared on X. “Our reporters have also been communicating with her via text: ‘No one assaulted anyone,’ she texted. ‘This is insane. And sad.’”
Miller’s outlook in Buffalo had not always been so certain. Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted shortly after the allegations surfaced that the Bills could potentially have an out if they wanted to move on from the All Pro edge rusher, with the option to void his contract if Miller were suspended by the NFL.
Full Return for Von Miller
The Bills signed Miller in 2022 with the hope that he would make a major impact on defense, but instead he suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving Day during his first season and struggled to regain his previous form after returning in October 2023.
The #Bills 2024 Super Bowl aspirations may come down to the play of Von Miller.
☝️…
Hard to envision our Dline recreating 2023 regular season production w/o a significant uptick from Von.
✌️…
Von was paid to deliver in the playoffs.
Will he ever deliver?
Podcast below ⬇️…
Miller made just three total tackles with no sacks, though did show improvement in his pass rush late in the season and into the playoffs. Beane said he hoped that Miller would continue on the same track of improvement going into the 2024 season.
“I’ve spoken to Von after the season, since it ended. I would say Von the last few weeks, we sat him down the one game, I would say that Miami, Pittsburgh, KC, you saw the flashes of it,” Beane said. “I think now it’s just more of it and getting him in a rhythm. It’s that fine balance of like a shooter, how many shots does he need to get going? Von’s a rusher, he’s a shooter from there. So, what does he need to get his lather, but understanding at his age, you don’t want him playing 40, 45 snaps either.”
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