Von Miller says this Jaguars WR was the ‘lifeblood’ of Bills roster

Buffalo Bills defensive end Von Miller spoke highly of Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Gabriel Davis earlier this week.

Kyle Silagyi | Sep 20, 2024

Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

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It’s often said that the NFL is a business, this idea proven time and time again as players leave their teams in search of greener pastures elsewhere. The financial realities of professional football hit the Buffalo Bills particularly hard in the 2024 offseason, as the team was forced to part ways with several key starters on each side of the ball in order to secure long-term salary cap flexibility and reset their championship window.

Among the players who left One Bills Drive this spring amid the reshuffling was wide receiver Gabriel Davis, who Buffalo initially selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He substantially outplayed his draft capital, ultimately establishing himself as the No. 2 option in the team’s passing attack as he caught 163 passes for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns over four seasons. The Bills’ sticky offseason salary cap situation prevented the team from signing him to a second contract, prompting the North Florida native to ink a three-year, $39 million deal with his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars in March.

Davis will roam familiar turf in an unfamiliar uniform this week as the winless Jaguars face off against the Bills in a Monday Night Football clash. It’ll be strange for Buffalo fans—and likely Davis himself—to see the wideout line up for the opposition, but it’s, again, the nature of the beast that is professional football. Veteran pass rusher Von Miller spoke about Davis’ return to Orchard Park during his Wednesday media availability, telling reporters that it’ll be odd to see the pass-catcher on the opposite sideline.

“Gabe Davis, that’ll be weird, man, because the last two years, he’s been, like, the lifeblood of this team with his personality, man,” Miller said. “It’ll be weird going against Gabe. It was weird last week going against [Jordan Poyer] and it’ll be weird going against Gabe. I’m sure when we get down to Houston [in Week 5], it’ll be weird going against [Stefon] Diggs. It’s just a lot of weird games in a row.

“I’ve played football long enough, this is my 14th year in the league, it’s just three hours on the football field and then we’re back cool again. There are no hard feelings or ‘I want to take his head off’ or nothing like that, I love those guys. I’ve played this game so long, to see guys get injured and all types of stuff, it’s really not that serious. We’re going in there to win the game, of course, but I’ll always be buddies with those guys and crack jokes and keep it light with those guys forever.”

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Davis is not the only former Buffalo stalwart who will return to Highmark Stadium on Monday, as long-time starting center Mitch Morse also signed with Jacksonville after being released by the Bills in the spring. Quarterback Josh Allen spoke highly of both of his ex-teammates earlier this week, describing both of them as “brothers.”

Both former Buffalo players have gotten off to solid starts in Duval County, with Davis catching six passes for 105 yards despite Jacksonville’s general offensive woes. The Bills will look to cap the wideout’s production and prolong the Jaguars’ struggles on Monday night; kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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