Von Miller to return Week 1?

Von Miller remains on the PUP list while he continues to rehab the ACL tear which ended his debut season in Buffalo. The 34-year-old has provided optimism on the matter of his Week 1 availability on multiple occasions this offseason, indicating that he feels he will be recovered in full by the season opener. General manager Brandon Beane is also encouraged by Miller’s progress.

Beane said there is “definitely a possibility” the future Hall of Famer will be in the lineup for Week 1 when speaking to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t NFL.com). He cautioned, however, that the team is “not quite there” with respect to deciding on how to proceed with Miller, who was limited to 11 games last season. The latter is on the active/PUP list, meaning he can be activated at any time during training camp.

Miller is familiar with ACL recoveries, having gone through the same process during his highly-decorated Broncos tenure. He was able to return to All-Pro form the first time, and doing so again would be crucial to the Bills’ short- and long-term success. The eight-time Pro Bowler is entering the second season of his six-year, $120M deal signed last offseason, and he will be the key member of Buffalo’s pass-rushing unit upon return.

A cautious approach with Miller (who earlier in the offseason labeled Week 6 as the latest point at which he would make his 2023 debut) would come as little surprise given his importance, as well as the team’s depth on the edge. Buffalo signed Leonard Floyd last month in a deal which was agreed to independent of Miller’s status. The former will join Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and Carlos Basham Jr. as pass-rushing options to compliment Miller when he is healthy. If things stay on their current course, Buffalo could have a full array of edge defenders available when the season kicks off.