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What Bills HC Sean McDermott said as All-Pro LB Matt Milano returns to practice

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke about linebacker Matt Milano's return to practice on Wednesday.

Kyle Silagyi

Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano will do on Wednesday something he has not done in well over a year: participate in an in-season (albeit walkthrough) practice session.

The Bills opened the former All-Pro defender’s 21-day practice window this week, giving them until December 4 to either activate Milano to the 53-man roster or revert him to season-long injured reserve. The veteran has spent the first 10 weeks of the 2024 campaign on IR after tearing his bicep in a mid-August training camp practice, and though head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled the 30-year-old out for Buffalo’s Week 11 clash with the Kansas City Chiefs, the opening of his practice window would indicate that the team expects him back sooner rather than later.

It’s been some time since Bills fans, and the team itself, have seen Milano log in-game reps, as he also missed the vast majority of the 2023 campaign after suffering a tibia fracture in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had shown flashes of the dynamic linebacker of old throughout the summer before suffering his arm injury, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting at the time of the diagnosis that the ailment was set to sideline him “indefinitely.”

Related: Star WR limited, key TE out of practice as Bills begin prep for Chiefs bout

Buffalo long held internal optimism that Milano would be able to suit up at some point in the 2024 campaign, potentially as early as December, and the commencement of his practice window would suggest that he’s well on track in his recovery. McDermott spoke about Milano’s return to the practice field during his Wednesday media availability, praising the former fifth-round pick’s work ethic and resolve as he’s worked through back-to-back major injuries.

“You talk about a guy that’s been on a journey, right?” McDermott said. “Two years now of going through what he’s gone through, it’s just amazing to watch his resilient nature, right? He’s so resilient, he’s persistent. He’s got a goal, and he’s worked his butt off to get back to where he’s at. This will be the first practice he’s had in quite some time. 

Matt Milan
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

“I don’t even know, right? And I know him rather well, I don’t even know what really he’s been through over the last two years. I think that just speaks to the type of person he is, how driven he is, and trying to pursue the goals that he has as an individual and for us as a team, as well. He’s as much of a team player as we have. Just a great guy to have on board here.”

The Bills’ defense has generally played well as Milano has been sidelined, as sophomore linebacker Dorian Williams has performed admirably in the stalwart’s absence. He’s recorded a team-high 93 tackles through 10 games; that said, Milano is one of the league’s most dynamic defenders when healthy, a rangy linebacker with an innate nose for the football who has recorded 39 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles throughout his seven-year professional career. Few linebackers in football are more impactful than a healthy Milano, and his journey back to the starting lineup takes another significant step on Wednesday.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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