Bills Super Bowl 'Key': Von Miller Return Biggest Concern?

The Buffalo Bills are once again Super Bowl contenders, however their championship hopes could hinge on Von Miller's return from injury.

The Buffalo Bills will enter the season once again with one of the best defenses in the NFL. However, they will also be doing so potentially without one of their key defenders in outside linebacker Von Miller, who could miss the start of the season.

Miller has expressed confidence that he can be ready for Week 1 against the New York Jets. And though he won't be out for the entire year, the biggest concern the Bills face this summer according to The Athletic is the question of when the premier pass rusher will officially return.

"For the second straight year, the Bills will have to wait and see the progress of one of their star players coming off a late-November torn ACL," The Athletic writes. "Last year it was Tre’Davious White, and this year, it’s star pass rusher Von Miller."

"Miller has repeatedly set lofty goals for himself to be ready by Week 1, but the Bills have been historically conservative with a player’s return from a significant injury."

The veteran pass rusher appeared in just 11 games for the Bills last season before missing the rest of the year with a torn ACL. In those 11 games, he made quite the impact. He recorded 21 tackles, including an impressive 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks to go along with a forced fumble. 

Fortunately for the Bills, they do have depth in the trenches to make do while Miller makes his way back from injury - most notably among them Greg Rousseau and the offseason addition of Leonard Floyd. 

"They signed Leonard Floyd to help out Greg Rousseau in the meantime, but Miller’s return, and the timing of it, could be a massive key to their championship hopes," The Athletic writes.

The Bills can likely get by without Miller, as the depth along the defensive front paired with talent in the second level could help them retain an elite defense. Missing Miller will undoubtedly hurt, though, and is not something Buffalo hopes to deal with for long this season.

---

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

Thanks for reading our SI-powered coverage of your Buffalo Bills ... Bills Mafia!

You're a member of Bills Mafia hungry for more Buffalo coverage? Read here.