Bills LB Von Miller Vows to ‘Play My Style of Football’
Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller is entering 2024 with a clear goal to re-establish himself as one of the NFL’s best at his position.
While Miller failed to reach his expectations last season as he recovered from a 2022 season-ending injury, the 35-year-old appears intent on re-gaining his swagger as well as his skill set on the field.
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“I feel like people are judging me on that, so it's making me a little bit angry, to be honest,” Miller recently told Sports Illustrated. “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 (bleep) … making sacks, dancing, and making plays for my teammates. That's been my whole mindset this offseason.”
Despite his prime years having passed, Miller is still capable of being a potent pass-rusher in Buffalo’s defense. The 35-year-old compiled eight sacks, 21 tackles (10 for loss), two passes-defensed and one forced fumble in 11 games during his first season with the Bills in 2022. The totals would have undoubtedly been higher had he not suffered an ACL injury in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions, which sidelined him through the start of the 2023 season.
"My biggest individual goal is just getting back to playing my style of football,” Miller said. “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. 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.”
Miller struggled after returning and fell behind other Bills edge rushers on the depth chart during the season. In what was by far the least-productive season of his career, Miller logged three combined tackles and zero sacks in 12 regular-season games for Buffalo.
Though he may have his difficulties, Miller’s wisdom and experience should be enough to save his job in Buffalo. It may also help to deliver a championship which has eluded them for far too long.
“The biggest team goal is bringing the first Super Bowl to Buffalo,” Miller said. “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 … These guys deserve it, and I'm going to do everything in my power to give it to them."