Sean McDermott provides update on Bills LB Matt Milano’s injury status following the bye week

The Buffalo Bills did not activate All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano to their 53-man roster upon their return from the Week 12 bye, but the veteran defenseman appears to be heading in the right direction. Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the 30-year-old will continue to practice throughout the week and could potentially play in Buffalo’s Week 13. Sunday night football battle with the San Francisco 49ers.

McDermott went on to talk about what he hopes to see from Milano as he heads towards his ultimate return. He told the press that he simply wants the dynamic defender to re-acclimate to a regular season routine.

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“Probably what you would expect in terms of getting back into the swing of things and endurance because he hasn’t played football in a while,” McDermott said. “Basically I try to take it one day at a time, one game at a time, not to sound like it’s the coach, but that’s really what we’re looking at.”

Milano spent the first 12 weeks of the 2024 season on injured reserve after suffering a biceps tear in mid-August. The team opened its 21-day practice period prior to their Week 11 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs; Although he did not suit up for the highly anticipated conference clash, he did take part in his first pre-season practice sessions in more than a year in the lead-up to the game.

It’s been some time since Bills fans have seen Milano take the field, as he also missed the vast majority of the 2023 season after suffering a tibial fracture in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. His extended absence may have caused some national pundits to forget just how impactful the former fifth-round pick is for a player when available, but few linebackers are more consistently dynamic than a healthy Milano; As a professional he has 488 tackles, 39 pass deflections and 10 interceptions to his name, a statistic that is testament to his seemingly innate flair for football.

McDermott told reporters that Milano will be counting on the field for his eventual return. The team technically doesn’t have to activate Milano to the roster ahead of the Week 13 matchup if his timeline doesn’t go as hoped this week, as it has until December 4 to re-add him to the unit.

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