Von Miller's contract restructure named Bills' best offseason move

It's all about the money.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller (40) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills' offseason has come under fire by many in the NFL community, as the perennial Super Bowl contender's retooling has garnered some raised eyebrows. The trading of Stefon Diggs, the releasing of veteran talent, the drafting of Keon Coleman (more so the trading in the draft that allowed the rival Kansas City Chiefs to land their preferred target), and the acquisition of some talented, but not necessarily needle-moving wide receivers all led to a strange feeling over Western New York. There has been one move, however, that's been universally praised this offseason, and that was the restructuring of Von Miller’s six-year, $120 million contract. 

When Von Miller took over Super Bowl 50 🏆pic.twitter.com/zPLyeAvxiQ

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) July 11, 2024

Miller, who signed a mega-deal with the Bills in the 2022 offseason before tearing his ACL midway through his debut campaign in Western New York, struggled in his return from injury, recording just three tackles and failing to register a sack throughout the 2023 season. In the midst of the offseason retooling that saw Buffalo free up significant financial wiggle room moving forward, Miller agreed to a pay cut, dropping his $17.5 million base salary for the 2024 season down to $8.5 million. The move allowed the Bills to allocate those funds to other parts of the roster as opposed to a 35-year-old edge rusher fresh off a zero-sack season.

The restructuring of Miller’s contract was recently dubbed the Bills' best offseason move by the folks over at Pro Football Focus. Trevor Sikkema of PFF had this to say about the move: 

“While he could have held firm on the big contract number he was owed for 2024, Buffalo was able to restructure his deal to save about $9 million in cap space for signings and re-signings to remain as competitive as possible.” 

And we have to agree that the partial shedding of Miller’s contract has been one of the best moves the Bills have made this offseason. The influx of cash has helped the Bills sign Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is (perhaps surprisingly) shaping up to have a somewhat significant offensive role. While the reduction of Miller’s salary was a great move, some other big moves have been the triggering of the fifth-year option for Greg Rousseau, the additions of Curtis Samuel and Mike Edwards, and the extensions of Taron Johnson and Dion Dawkins.

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