Von Miller hasn’t played a game in Buffalo or anywhere else in North America since November of 2022.
That won’t change this week, but he might take the field in London when the Bills play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, streaming on NFL+ at 9:30 a.m. ET. That’s his hope, anyhow.
“I don’t know if the fans can expect to see me yet, but if I was a betting man I would say yeah, you can expect to see Von Miller in London,” Miller said in Tuesday’s edition of The Von Cast, via B/R Gridiron.
Miller’s been out of action since Week 12 of last season, when he tore his ACL during a Bills win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Miller’s 2022 campaign -- his first with Buffalo -- ended on injured reserve, and his 2023 season has begun on the physically unable to perform list. Head coach Sean McDermott said Monday that Miller would return to practice this week. Once a PUP player resumes practicing, their club has three weeks to decide to activate him to the 53-man roster. NFL Network's Stacey Dales reported on Tuesday that the Bills will take Miller's availability day by day and make a decision on his status by the end of the week.
Miller is going to do his darndest to play this week. Nevertheless, it will be no easy task.
“It’s still not a promise that I play in this game,” Miller said. “I want to play in this game. I gotta practice tomorrow and I only get one padded practice. So obviously I got out there and I [need to] look amazing with this padded practice. Cause the difference is, like in training camp, you get multiple padded practices to kinda like figure your game out. I just get one padded practice tomorrow and then we have a shells practice on Thursday and then we fly to London on Thursday night. I really don’t have all the time in the world to like figure it out. I get one padded practice. So hopefully I look amazing tomorrow. I feel really strongly that I will. That’s just how I think I feel like I will be amazing tomorrow and everybody will give me the green light to go play in the game.”
The 34-year-old Miller very much looked like his old havoc-wreaking self in his first 11 games with Buffalo, registering eight sacks and bolstering the Bills’ pass rush. Now the eight-time Pro Bowler is looking to turn in an impressive practice on Wednesday in the hopes of winning over his coaches enough to earn a roster spot and an international plane ticket.
A two-time Super Bowl winner, a former Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and a three-time All-Pro, Miller has had a parade of honors and accolades in his 12-year career. However, he’s never played a game in London and he’d very much like to check that off his career bucket list.
“Who knows how many chances I’ll get to play in London, so I want this to happen,” Miller said. “I want this to happen, I’m pushing for it to happen. I think you can go ahead and really check that box and you guys will see me playing in London.”
London’s calling, and Miller’s aiming to answer.