The Buffalo Bills are facing off against the New England Patriots on Sunday in a game that is crucial to their postseason chances. And ahead of the game, they made the tough decision to make perhaps the most experienced and accomplished player inactive for the game.
Bills defensive end Von Miller has disappointed in a huge way this season, struggling to produce on the field after a torn ACL last season.
In 11 total appearances this season, Miller has recorded just two solo tackles on the year with zero sacks. To put this into perspective, Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis has more solo tackles on the year than Miller.
Gabe Davis has more solo tackles this year (3) than Von Miller (2) and are tied at total tackles.
— Derek Kramer (@DerekKramer49) December 31, 2023
The struggles on the field are also just the tip of the iceberg for Miller. He is also dealing with significant issues off the field stemming from an arrest back in November for alleged domestic violence.
This combination of struggles on the field and controversy off of it seems to be too much for the Bills organization to ignore. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Miller has been listed as a healthy inactive for their matchup on Sunday against the New England Patriots.
Von Miller is healthy and him being inactive is a coach's decision. https://t.co/QvFh2sGNDA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 31, 2023
It’s a move that could be telling as the Bills prepare for a potential postseason appearance. And fans had plenty to say about this decision on social media.
They paid a 33 year old Von Miller 120 million https://t.co/pfVrA50CDs
— Aaron (@GotEmCoach___) December 31, 2023
https://twitter.com/JOECOOLSKOL/status/1741500187183312976
This is only a month late but go off i guess https://t.co/12YVFgoS5W
— chloe (@chloeg_13) December 31, 2023
2010s pass rushers all fizzling out💔 https://t.co/WWXnmZh3qO
— Amadou Sow (@amadousow_) December 31, 2023
For someone like Miller who has done just about everything there is to do in the NFL, it is certainly sad to see him presumably regressing towards the end of his career.
Only time will tell whether the Bills opt to make him active in future weeks. But it sure seems like we could be headed for the beginning of the end of Miller’s illustrious career.
