The Buffalo Bills took a major hit during their loss to the New England Patriots when former Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Milano re-aggravated the pectoral injury that had kept him out for the previous two weeks.
Milano was not able to return to the game and faces the prospect of missing even more time, leading to calls for the team to cut ties with the oft-injured linebacker. Milano has missed significant stretches of the past several seasons while dealing with a string of major injuries, and now will be out indefinitely again.
Matt Milano’s Injury Woes
As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted, Milano has been hit by one injury after another during his last two seasons.
“Milano now has missed the equivalent of three of the Bills’ five games this season, the continuation of a troubling trend that dates back to Week 5 of the 2023 season,” Skurski wrote. “It was during that season that Milano suffered a devastating leg injury in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, knocking him out for the remainder of the year. A torn bicep muscle suffered in training camp in summer 2024 sidelined Milano for the first 11 games of the regular season. He returned to play in three before missing another one because of a groin injury.”
Skurski noted that it has grown too difficult for the Bills to gameplan around having Milano on the field and could take steps toward cutting ties with him after the season.
“It’s time to start wondering if the team has [had enough of his injuries], too,” Skurski wrote. “The Bills reworked Milano’s contract in the offseason, shaving a year off it and making him an unrestricted free agent after this season. At 31, and with his recent injury history, it was very much a prove-it deal. As in, prove that he can stay healthy and be a difference-maker for the defense.”
Bills Share Praise for Matt Milano
The team has shown no sign of preparing to move on from Milano. Head coach Sean McDermott shared praise this week for the efforts he has taken to stay healthy and recover from his injuries while saying the team is ready to move up his replacement.
“He tweaked that pec in the game yesterday, so he’ll be week to week,” McDermott said. “Nobody works harder than Matt Milano to stay healthy. Right now it’s going to be next man up for this week.”
Defensive coordinator Bobby Babich added that he’s in Milano’s corner, sharing his sympathy for the linebacker after the latest injury setback.
“I know it’s really tough on him,” said Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich, who was Milano’s LB position coach in 2022 and 2023.
McDermott said Milano would avoid a trip to injured reserve, which could put his return back sometime after the team’s bye week following this week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Bills are also awaiting the return of defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who has been out since suffering a foot injury in practice after the team’s Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
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