Bills linebacker Von Miller is in the twilight of his NFL career. And because of that, he wanted to play as much of last season as he could, even though his surgically-repaired knee said otherwise.
So he ended up with a mostly down 2023. The ace pass rusher ended up with zero sacks. The Bills, meanwhile, bowed out of the playoffs in the second round, falling at home to the Chiefs, the eventual Super Bowl champs.
Miller, the former Texas A&M star and No. 2 player in the 2011 NFL Draft, doesn’t appreciate criticism that suggests he didn’t do his best, as if he was healthy enough to do so.
“It’s crazy how you get injured, and you come back, and you really shouldn’t have even been playing, and people judge you by a product on the field,” Miller said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I could have easily sat out all of last season, but I couldn’t do my teammates like that. I felt like being later in my career, I didn’t want to sacrifice any of my years. But at the same time, I shouldn’t have been out there. I feel like people are judging me on that, so it’s making me a little bit angry, to be honest.”
Miller turned 35 in March. He says he wants to help the Bills win a Super Bowl. That would give him another ring in the jewelry box. Miller was the MVP when the Broncos won the Super Bowl. He also helped the Rams win a title after the 2021 season. He moved to Buffalo after LA won it all at SoFi Stadium.
“The biggest team goal is bringing the first Super Bowl to Buffalo,” Miller told SI. “Everyone feels like they deserve it, and they work hard, but Buffalo Bills fans and Western New York they deserve it, man. They do so much for our community and our football team. (Quarterback) Josh Allen is an amazing player and person – he is one of the most amazing people that I have ever been around in my life. These guys deserve it, and I’m going to do everything in my power to give it to them.”
Miller suffered a significant knee injury against the Lions on Thanksgiving, 2022. A general rule of thumb is surgically-repaired knees usually take about a year to heal. Miller came back earlier than that. He started practicing last October, then was available for the Bills week five game against the Jaguars that was played in London.
The Bills expected an instant injection when they signed Miller to a six-year, $120 million deal. Yet last season, Miller played in a dozen games and failed even to notch a solo tackle. His stat sheet shows him with three combined tackles and no sacks. It was the least productive season for this eight-time Pro Bowler.
Miller and the rest of the Bills will report to training camp at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY, on July 23.
The post Von Miller ‘shouldn’t have even been playing’ during 2023 season, seeks Bills’ first Super Bowl in 2024 appeared first on On3.