The patience the Buffalo Bills showed with Von Miller appears to be paying off, with the All-Pro edge rusher coming back to form after a career-worst season in 2023 during which he recovered from a torn ACL.
Though Miller has already surpassed his stats from last season, a new report suggests that the Bills could start looking for the eventual replacement for the 35-year-old. Bleacher Report identified Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat as a potential free agent target next offseason, noting that the Bills may need to find a new partner for emerging star Greg Rousseau.
Von Miller ‘Has His Groove Back’
Bleacher Report noted that Miller appears to be having a bounceback season after returning from a torn ACL in 2023. He struggled off the line last season, managing just 3 total tackles in 12 games and being benched for a key late-season game against the New England Patriots.
Miller already has 4 tackles this year with 2.0 sacks, keeping regular pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
“One thing that’s really working for the Bills right now is that Von Miller has his groove back early in this season,” B/R’s Alex Ballentine wrote in a September 16 story on each NFL team’s “biggest weaknesses.” “He looked nearly cooked last season, but he’s already getting after quarterbacks through two weeks of the season.”
But Miller may not be able to keep up the same level of production in the future, leading Bleacher Report to suggest the Bills add Sweat to make up for Miller’s production should it decline next season. Sweat is in the final season of a three-year, $40 million contract with the Eagles.
“However, Miller is 35 years old and he’s had some serious injuries,” Ballentine wrote. “They might have to spend some cash on finding another edge-rusher to partner with Greg Rousseau. Clearly the Bills are still contenders in the AFC and should have resources to be even better next season.”
Miller agreed to a pay cut for this season, with ESPN’s Field Yates reporting that his base salary dropped to $8.9 million from $17.5 million. But Miller has the chance to make that up — and then some — if he can produce on the field.
“The deal does have upside for Miller in incentives that could push his pay all the way up to $20 million for 2024,” noted Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “We don’t know what those incentives are yet, but a player like Miller — who’s 35 years old and has seen his production decline significantly — typically wouldn’t be expected to hit a lot of incentives at this point in his career.”
Greg Rousseau’s Breakout Season
The Bills could also lean more heavily on Rousseau should Miller decline. The 25-year-old defensive end is off to a hot start, recording 3 sacks and earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors after the team’s season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals
In an appearance on the team’s radio program “One Bills Live” this week, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky pointed out that the entire defensive line has been playing well in the team’s 2-0 start to the season.
“It’s two weeks into the season, but I do think the [Bills’] defensive line is starting to show itself when it gets to Ed [Oliver], [AJ] Epenesa, Greg [Rousseau], and Von [Miller] in some of those obvious pass s noituations,” Orlovsky said.
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