Bills GM gives update on Matt Milano after encouraging injured reserve designation

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke about the possibility of linebacker Matt Milano returning this season.

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buffalo Bills’ defense was dealt a major blow in mid-August when former All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano tore his bicep, a significant ailment that will sideline the defender “indefinitely.” The injury figures to keep Milano off the field for the majority of the 2024 campaign, marking the second consecutive season in which the defender will be unavailable for the bulk of it; he missed most of the 2023 season after fracturing his tibia in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Though his rehabilitation timeline is currently unknown, the team expressed early optimism that he would be able to return at some point this season, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting at the time of the injury that the organization hoped Milano would be available in December. This optimism gained a bit of credence this past Tuesday when Buffalo added the linebacker to its injured reserve list with a “designated to return” tag, meaning that he is eligible to play this season should his recovery progress as expected.

General manager Brandon Beane spoke about the team’s decision to designate Milano as eligible to return during his Wednesday media availability, telling reporters that he’s simply keeping his options open.

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“It’s so early,” Beane said. “Obviously tore the bicep and had that repaired. It’s early stages. Those can range from various times. We have a little bit [of information], but you’re not really doing a lot, like our people aren’t putting their hands, doing a lot. You’re letting the wound heal and all that. Think it’s, right now, we’re just going to let Matt do his thing. 

“We’re going to focus on the guys we’ve got here, and if the medical team tells us as we get into the season, ‘Hey, this is trending well,’ and we think there’s a chance, then we’ll start planning accordingly. Ultimately what we did was, [we] didn’t close the door on the season, but we’re not going to sit here and say we’re expecting him by this point. I think it’s just way too early.”

Milano, should he return to the team this season, would likely provide a big boost to a Buffalo defense that is demonstrably better when he’s on the field. He’s been one of the team's most consistently impactful defenders since his ascension into a starting role midway through his 2017 rookie season, since tallying 488 tackles, 39 pass deflections, and 10 interceptions. He’s a sideline-to-sideline defender with an innate nose for the football, and few linebackers in the league are better than the 30-year-old when he’s playing at full health. Sophomore defender Dorian Williams will likely man his post until his ultimate return.

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