The Buffalo Bills have been busy this offseason. While they have spent a good chunk of their money signing their core group of star players to long-term contract extensions, they also worked on shoring up the biggest weaknesses on their roster. Arguably the biggest weakness of the bunch last season was the Bills front seven on defense, but they have made some big improvements over the offseason.
Perhaps the biggest X-factor from this group, though, is a player who was with the team last season. That would be star linebacker Matt Milano, who has struggled with injuries over the past two seasons. However, when he’s healthy, Milano is one of the best linebackers in the game, and as a result, it’s earned him an eye-opening label ahead of the new season.
Matt Milano Predicted to be Bills Top Defensive Player of the Year Candidate
Milano latched on with the Bills as a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and managed to quickly carve out a role for himself. By his second year in the league, Milano was a full-time starter, and he eventually ended up becoming one of the most underrated linebackers in the game at the heart of Buffalo’s defense.
Then, the 2022 season rolled around, where Milano put together the best season of his career. The former Boston College star racked up 99 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, 11 passes batted, and a touchdown. Those stellar numbers earned Milano a Pro Bowl selection and a spot on the All-Pro First Team, as he finally got the recognition he long deserved.
Milano has followed that up by playing in just nine total games over the past two seasons, as he’s been hampered by injuries. He’s fully healthy heading into the 2025 season, though, and he figures to play an important role on defense for the Bills once again. If you ask Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network, he thinks that Milano is the top Defensive Player of the Year candidate on Buffalo’s roster.
“Matt Milano heads into 2025 as a question mark on the Buffalo Bills’ defense,” Infante wrote. “That said, his level of play when healthy indicates DPOY attention.”
“In 2022, Milano had 99 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 11 pass deflections. If he can return to that level of play, he’ll be among the top players at his position. The Bills are also a defense that’s more about the sum of their parts than one or two individual superstars, making Milano the best of the bunch when healthy.”
Could Matt Milano be a DPOY Candidate in 2025?
At the peak of his powers, Milano was a DPOY candidate in 2022. The question remains whether or not he can reach those levels again in what will be his age 31 season. When he’s played the past two seasons, Milano has been solid, but he has not been available nearly enough to make the sort of impact the team is expecting from him.
With a revamped defense around him, the Bills are expecting him to reemerge as the leader at the heart of the unit. If he can stay healthy and play like he did in 2022, not only could Buffalo make some serious noise out of the AFC, but Milano could be a sneaky contender to end up snatching the DPOY Award from out of nowhere.
