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The Buffalo Bills announced that Von Miller would not play in Week 17 against their AFC East divisional foe, the New England Patriots, on Sunday.
The Bills' announcement is a head-scratcher for many as it appears that Miller is healthy and doesn't have an injury designation. This has led many to question why Bills head coach Sean McDermott has decided to sit his veteran linebacker.
McDermott recently noted that Miller's playing time was down as he continued to 'deal' with a lot, mentioning his previous knee injury.
"With Von, he'll flash here, he'll flash there, and he's dealing with a lot, right. And I commend him from just what he's been working through and the knee. Playing time is earned, and he knows that. So, he continues to work hard at getting himself just right to continue to improve."
Fans on social media were quick to take their guesses as to why Miller was listed as inactive ahead of Sunday's game. His legal status was one of the inquiries, as Miller was arrested for domestic violence earlier in the season.
Another fan questioned whether the Buffalo Bills were trying to get ahead of a possible NFL suspension and were dealing with the issue internally.
There's no doubt that Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott will have plenty of questions to answer about his linebacker after the game. Below are some of the comments on X about Von Miller's status:
Von Miller's stats in 2023
After dealing with a season-ending knee injury in 2022, Von Miller has been limited to 11 games this season. In those games, he had 11 pressures, three quarterback hits, three tackles, and is yet to record a sack this season.
In Week 16 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Miller had his season-high in snaps, at 45.7 percent. That stat alone shows that Miller's knee likely wasn't plaguing him last week, which adds more questions for his status in Week 17.
Von Miller salary breakdown
After winning his second Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, Von Miller became a free agent in 2022. He signed a six-year deal with the Buffalo Bills worth $120 million, including a $18 million signing bonus and $51 million in guaranteed money.
His base salary in 2023 is just $1.3 million with the remaining salary restructured into an additional bonus in order to save the available salary cap. The Bills are due to pay Miller $17.1 million in 2024 and then there is a potential mutual opt-out ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
