Over the years, Von Miller has garnered a reputation for being one of the most resolute and potent defensive presences in any team’s lineup. Now plying his trade for the Buffalo Bills, the seasoned veteran’s year was brought to an abrupt end with the Bills faltering against the Chiefs.
This poses a question for the Buffalo Bills’ front office regarding the contract arrangements for the 34-year-old. Has he played his last game for the fabled franchise? Let’s find out more.
One tackle from Von Miller costs Bills $5 million this season
Von Miller’s performances this season haven’t been something to write home about. After missing the first five weeks due to an injury, he only managed to feature in half of the pass-rushing efforts made by the Bills all season.
Even when he was playing, Miller’s display was far from his usual destructing self; he finished the year with just three quarterback hits and no sacks and ranked dead last in pass-rush win rate among qualified edge defenders, as per PFF.
According to Sportrac, Von Miller’s contract for the 2023 season essentially boils down to the fact that for each of his three QB tackles made during the year, he is going to earn an estimated $5 million, a whopping amount by any standards of imagination.
Von Miller’s Bills future uncertain
Due to the low numbers put up by Miller throughout the season, the Buffalo Bills are now considering a cut for the veteran pass rusher. However, signing him up for such a mammoth deal in the past means that the front office will have to shell out the big bucks either way.
He is set to account for about $24 million against the Bills’ salary cap in 2024, a financial burden the team doesn’t want to bear due to Miller’s limited availability. While the $6.435 million portion of his $17+ million base salary is guaranteed on March 18th In the future, the Bills plan to remove Miller from their roster before that deadline.
On the flip side, choosing to cut him off after June 1 would leave the Bills facing the consequences of a shockingly large dead fund of $17+ million in 2024 and $15.4 million in 2025.
What are your thoughts on the Von Miller situation? Does he deserve another shot with the Bills next season? Let us know in the comments below.