Matt Milano‘s missed time over the past two seasons has led to speculation about his future. The All-Pro Bills linebacker remains in the fold for now, but 2025 now represents his walk year. 
Milano and the Bills worked out a restructure earlier this month, as detailed by Over the Cap. As result of the new arrangement, 2026 has been removed from the deal meaning Milano is heading toward free agency next spring. His base earnings for the coming campaign now stand at $6.31MM, all but roughly $1MM of which is guaranteed.
That represents a reduction in pay by $3.63MM from what Milano was originally scheduled to make in 2025. Performance-based incentives will allow him to make up that amount, however. Milano is now set to carry a cap charge of $12.16MM in 2025, a season which will be pivotal in determining his Buffalo future.
The 30-year-old remained mainly healthy for his six seasons with the Bills, a period in which he established himself as one of the top coverage linebackers in the NFL. Milano suffered a broken leg early in the 2023 campaign, though, and he then tore his biceps during training camp this past summer. As a result, the former fifth-rounder has only made nine appearances during the past two years.
When healthy, though, Milano has proven he can be a vital part of the Bills’ defense. The Boston College product has recorded at least 78 tackles in a season four times, and his ball production has resulted in 10 interceptions during his career. A return to form would be welcomed by team and player as Buffalo again looks to break through in the postseason in 2025.
The team has been busy on the extension front recently, and linebacker Terrel Bernard is among the players who have received a long-term deal. He is now attached to a $10.5MM AAV on a pact which runs through 2029. Buffalo also has Dorian Williams on his rookie contract for the next two years, and he figures to have a key role in the second level of the defense moving forward. Whether Milano can join Bernard and Williams on the field for most or all of next season will be a key storyline, and it will go a long way in deciding if his Buffalo tenure will continue beyond 2025.
Milano is basically what people pretended Kiko Alonso was.
A true sideline to sideline LB who makes big plays.
He has been pretty cheap too – even pre-injuries.
If he were a FA, I bet he gets more than what Buffalo gives him.
He has been a huge value to the Bills.
Well, had to be done. There was no cap relief in cutting him. I have mixed feelings on his future with the team. He was ok in the playoffs, awful during the season… a lot of rust was to be expected, no doubt. He gets an initial pass for those earliest games. And… he was solid up until the chiefs game where there was a lot of blame to go around…. Kair Elam…
He’s just so small and so banged up. He has coach material written all over him and he’s exactly the kind of guy you want to go to war with… He’s getting old, wrong side of 30, beaten to smithereens….
In the short term, his ceiling is too high to give up on.
But in a couple of years – I agree. Time to start thinking about the next guy.
I would not want this restructure to preclude the possibility that they are amenable to finding a replacement for this year, perhaps in round 1 depending on how the chips may fall. Dorian’s a good backup and special teamer… If they can find a stud, god forbid it’s that Jihad Campbell kid (I say that because of his name only), but if he’s there they should consider grabbing him. Everyone seems really really high on him.
The Bills seem to find solid linebackers in the latter rounds. They may find a diamond, but I’d rather see a boost to the secondary (corner or safety) based on draft projections. Defensive line would be another option.
I dunno… Spector was a bust, the guy who went to Seattle, Dodson, could barely even remember his name. Bust. The kid they picked this year couldn’t even get on the active roster most of the season. The track record isn’t great actually.
Milano was a hit. Bernard is a baller but he is not a true difference maker. He’s a playmaker, but there’s a difference between that and being a game changer.
There are still too many other pressing needs for this season. We don’t have the luxury of spending a premium pick on a LB we need two seasons from now. ( yes it potentially could be sooner )
We need a 1dt, corner, and still need an outside WR in this current iteration in a super bowl run.
Dorian is pretty good as an interim if we need him to be too.
Even if we needed one – Im still not sure I want to spend a high pick there personally. I see LB sort of like safety – you can always find someone.
It all depends what they think of these guys. If there is a LB they think is an absolute stud and better by a lot then a db or dt, go for it. They need difference makers. Game changers. So long as it’s defense I’m ok whatever position they pick so long as they think it’s the giy they think brings the most to the table. It’s what the eagles do.
The biggest problem with the defense is that Taron Johnson can’t play on the boundary or safety. Having him on the field all the time in the slot means never having that third lb. And our lbs are tiny to begin with. We’re cursed that Taron is so good in a way.
A playmaker. I enjoy watching him go and I’m a Viking fan. Good deal for both sides and he would’ve gotten much more as a free agent.
He hasn’t held up as well as Alyssa.