All-Pro LB rejoins Bills practice on limited basis following season-ending injury

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is making progress in his return from a season-ending leg injury.

Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) moves into position in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

He’s not yet a full participant in practice, but slowly but surely, Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is working his way back to the field.

The former All-Pro linebacker missed the vast majority of the 2023 NFL season after fracturing his right tibia in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. A significant portion of his time since suffering the ailment has been spent rehabbing at One Bills Drive, and it looks as though his work is now starting to pay off; the 29-year-old will participate in the team’s first mandatory minicamp practice of the year on a limited basis, a sign that this recovery is on schedule.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott spoke about Milano’s recovery during last month’s voluntary OTAs, stating that he was “on schedule” but reiterating that it wouldn’t be until closer to training camp that he was a full-go, only suggesting that he may see some individual work between then and late-July. His participation in Tuesday’s practice—though only on a limited basis—provides further hope that Milano will be a full participant in early training camp practices.

“It’s big,” McDermott said of Milano’s participation on Tuesday afternoon. “Credit to Matt and what he’s been able to do with our training staff, the work he’s put in. He’s so focused. He was focused before this, I feel like he’s even more focused, if that’s even possible, now, and wanting to get back out there for himself but also for his teammates.”

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McDermott further explained Milano’s timeline while speaking to reporters, stating that he hopes Milano will be fully available come camp.

“Right now, at least, the vision from [head athletic trainer] Nate [Breske] is that he’ll do some individual today, see how it goes, one day at a time,” McDermott said. “Hopefully tomorrow, if overnight things stay managed, and we’ll continue to build, he’ll continue to build through the break that we’re going to go on. 

“Hopefully in training camp, he’s at a spot where, when we open up, he’s available, it’s just a matter of putting it one day at a time and trying to put practices back-to-back. Don’t know yet on that, we’ll just have to see.”

Few defenders in the NFL are more impactful than a healthy Milano. The rangy sideline-to-sideline backer is a dynamic threat when available, an effective coverage defender with a nose for the football who has a penchant for making splashy plays in opportune moments. His availability has been a bit of a question mark throughout his seven professional seasons, however; he’s missed at least one game due to injury in all but one of his NFL campaigns, suffering year-ending ailments in the 2018 and 2023 seasons.

The progression of his timeline is encouraging, however. Fans can expect to see him early when Buffalo commences its 2024 training camp at St. John Fisher University on July 24.