Bills’ Miller: ‘Should not have played’ last year

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller said that he “probably should not have played” during the 2023 season because of a right knee injury that he suffered on Thanksgiving 2022.

“That’s probably what should have happened, but I didn’t want that to happen,” Miller said. “I wanted to be out there and play. If I was 50%, like, nobody was going to stop me from going out there. [Bills general manager Brandon] Beane wasn’t, nobody was going to stop me from going out there. But the truth, just being honest with you guys, my knee wasn’t at a place where I could go, and I could move, and I could do the things that I wanted to do. I mean, I could play, but that was just about it. “

Miller — speaking after the second training camp practice — said that at 34 years old at the time, missing that much time wasn’t on his mind. He noted that he made zero sacks and three [regular-season] tackles last season. He added that “I’m Von Miller, I’m kind of measured by sacks,” when asked about the performance last season.

The pass rusher played in 12 regular-season games last season and two postseason games. He came back in Week 5 (and was inactive in Week 17) after stating in the summer that he felt he would be ready to go for the start of the season. Miller has 123.5 career regular-season sacks and 2023 was the first season that he played and finished with fewer than five sacks.

“I only know one way to view things, and that’s the most optimistic way, and I wanted it to go better than what it was,” Miller said. “I wanted to go out there and get 15 sacks, that’d put me in the top 10 all time. I wanted all of those things to happen, but the universe just had other plans for me and nothing in life is by coincidence, so I’m here now, year three [with the Bills], I’m feeling good and I’m ready to go.”

Miller, 35, said that he is “feeling normal” now and that the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs was when he started to really feel that way, thinking less about his knee, and he felt good about that performance going into the offseason. He is now healthy, practicing fully, and emphasized that he isn’t thinking about his knee anymore.

“I think even Von referenced it maybe one time this offseason in the playoffs and maybe that that last game of the season against Miami, just seeing that twitch that he’s always had fire,” Beane said Wednesday. “You love to see him get back, not only winning his one-on-ones, but where people are like, ‘Hey, we got to have a plan for him.’ Because if two people have to block him or if they got to chip him, somebody’s going to get a single block.”