Why Is Von Miller So Mad?
Von Miller thinks he has something to prove this year. 2023 was the first season in his hall-of-fame career he did not register a sack.
Miller tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2022. Before training camp the following season, he told team officials he was “ready to go.” He wasn’t.
Miller didn’t play until week 12 last season, taking only a little more than 200 snaps and making just three tackles for the Buffalo Bills. Today, he says, “I shouldn’t have been out there.”
Miller Takes Big Pay Cut
Miller took a 50% pay cut for this season. The Buffalo Bills restructured his six-year $120 million contract. He will make just $8.5 million, down from $17.5 million under the previous deal. Pro Football Focus called it the Bills' best offseason move.
Miller said he was angry after taking a lot of heat from fans and the media after his performance in 2023. Miller says he was trying to help his team win.
“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.”
After the season, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he believed Miller’s performance improved as the season went on. “You saw that explosiveness coming back, and that should only improve, according to our medical team,” Beane said in January.
Miller: It's Making Me Angry
Miller feels he's being judged for his performance last season, and it's made him mad. An angry Von Miller is not something NFL offensive linemen like to see, even as he hits his 35th birthday.
"I feel like people are judging me on that [last season], so it's making me a little bit angry, to be honest," he said. "It's making me tap into a Von that I haven't been in a while. I just want to get back to playing my style of football. Get back to talking s---, f------ making sacks, dancing, and making plays for my teammates. That's been my whole mindset this offseason."
Buffalo does not have a long list of prominent pass rushers. The plan is for Miller to rotate with 24-year-old Gregory Rousseau and 25-year-old A.J. Epenesa
The Bills Believe In Von Miller
The Buffalo Bills are cautiously optimistic that Miller can return to his dominant days, but head coach Sean McDermott believes he can make a difference.
"Last year was last year. It was kind of [one of] those, and it's what you expect, it's first year off of an ACL. It's an uphill climb," McDermott said. "Now we're into the second year off of the injury, excited to see what he can do, how he's moving, and how he's going to impact our team. I think that, quite honestly, you never count a player or person like Von Miller out."
The Bills lost several players on both sides of the ball after the 2023 season. Having Miller's veteran leadership on the field will help the Bills this season.
Bills Fans Will Be Happy
When asked what his goals are for this season, he listed just one for the Bills Mafia.
"The biggest team goal is bringing the first Super Bowl to Buffalo. Everyone feels like they deserve it, and they work hard, but Buffalo Bills fans and Western New York they deserve it, man... These guys deserve it, and I'm going to do everything in my power to give it to them."
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