Getty Bills edge rusher Von Miller at Highmark Stadium on August 12, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills could potentially see “significant salary cap savings” if edge rusher Von Miller is suspended by the NFL after police in Dallas issued an arrest warrant on allegations that he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend — but it could take a while to reach that point.
Reporter Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News broke down the potential financial implications of Miller’s $120 million contract, as his future with the team could be in doubt following his arrest on November 30 on charges stemming from an incident the previous day.
As Skurski explained, much will depend on what the NFL chooses to do, possibly only after the legal process plays out.
“If Miller is suspended by the NFL for violating the terms of the personal conduct policy, the #Bills could then void the remaining guarantees in his contract, which includes his $17.145 million base salary for 2024,” Skurski wrote, adding, “If that happens before the start of next season, the #Bills would see a significant salary cap savings.”
Murky Process Ahead for Bills, Von Miller
Skurski noted that the Bills are unsure at the moment what could happen with Miller’s contract and the salary cap implications, noting that it is “likely to be a long process to play out before there is any real clarity on potential cap relief.”
Von Miller has turned himself in to police custody, per @TMZ.
“Any possible suspension from the NFL might not come until the legal system runs its course,” Skurski wrote.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Miller turned himself in to Glenn Heights police and was booked without incident and later released from DeSoto regional jail after posting $5,000 bond on Thursday evening, November 30.
Miller faces a charge of assault of a pregnant person, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the outlet.
Skurski added that if the Bills should choose to cut Miller now, they would owe him $10.71 million of his 2024 base salary.
The team has not given any indication of what steps it will take on Miller, saying in a statement only that the incident was under investigation.
“This morning, we were made aware of an incident involving Von Miller,” the team said in a statement, via NFL.com. “We are in the process of gathering more information and will have no further comment at this point.”
Miller’s Girlfriend Denies the Assault Allegations
According to the Dallas Morning News, an arrest-warrant affidavit indicates that Miller and his girlfriend, who is six weeks pregnant, had an argument over travel plans and he told her to leave and then assaulted her as she tried to do so. The affidavit indicates Miller shoved her to the floor, “put a hand on her neck and applied pressure” twice, grabbed and pulled out some of her hair, and “stomped on” her laptop, the outlet reported.
However, Dallas news station WFAA reported on November 30 that the unnamed girlfriend referenced in the affidavit denied the claims in text messages to their reporters.
“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 shared on X. “Our reporters have also been communicating with her via text: ‘No one assaulted anyone,’ she texted. ‘This is insane. And sad.'”
While the affidavit and WFAA do not name the girlfriend involved, “The couple have two children together,” 5 NBC DFW reported. Miller has two children, born in 2021 and 2023, with Megan Denise.