
Von Miller Suspended by Buffalo Bills
The NFL announced on Tuesday that Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller would be suspended for four games due to a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
Although the NFL did not explicitly provide reasoning for the suspension, it likely stems from his arrest in Dallas in November of 2023.
“I’m not in a position to go into the details on it. So you can assume what you can assume,” head coach Sean McDermott said when asked about the reasoning and details of the suspension.
Miller’s girlfriend, Megan Denise, who was pregnant with his child at the time, allegedly called 911 to report him assaulting her by ripping out chunks of her hair and strangling her, in addition to stomping on her feet and phone. Charges weren’t filed.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound athlete left before police arrived at the scene. Police reported that Denise had bruises on her abdomen, left bicep, and neck.
After the incident, he originally wasn’t suspended or placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.
He’ll forfeit $333,333 of his $1.5 million salary and lose out on the $60,000 per-game-active bonus due to the suspension, which comes two months after Miller addressed the media at training camp to say, “The case is closed.”
“I’m able to just move forward and focus solely on football,” Miller continued. “Life sometimes, but my life is all about football right now and my kids and being the best teammate and best football player I can possibly be.“
Miller has denied an assault occurred since he posted the $5,000 bond and has been backed up by those around him.
In December of 2023, WFAA released text messages of Denise calling the altercation “a huge misunderstanding,” claiming “no one assaulted anyone.”
In the same month, Miller told the media,
“It is 100% false; it’s overblown. I got the right people on the job.”
Brandon Beane, the Bills’ general manager, did not rush to judgment and was arguably slightly in disbelief when the alleged domestic violence altercation first took place.
“The guy that we’ve known here for a year and a half—that seems out of character,” Beane said.
He was investigated in Colorado in 2021 for allegedly assaulting Denise, whom he has two sons with, but charges weren’t filed.
Miller is not able to appeal the suspension but will return to the gridiron in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins at home. He’ll miss matchups against the Texans, Jets, Titans, and Seahawks.
The two-time Super Bowl champion had three sacks in the first three games of the season after not recording a single sack in 12 games post-ACL injury. He played a season-low nine snaps against the Ravens, whose run game seemed unstoppable for Buffalo.
The Bills defense is already missing key players, and Miller’s absence is likely to be felt against top teams like Tennessee and Seattle.
Now, Buffalo needs someone to fill his shoes.
“It’s out of our control,” McDermott said Tuesday. “What we need to focus on is that it’s an opportunity for someone on our football team to step up.”
They’ve already signed Zion Logue from the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. Logue was drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Georgia and has taken Miller’s spot on the roster for the time being.
This gives players like Greg Rousseau, Dawuane Smoot, or rookie Javon Solomon an opportunity to cement themselves into the game.
Miller played a total of 93 snaps this season, and 71 of those snaps were on passing plays.
Rousseau was a powerhouse in Week 1 and could be a real “force to be reckoned with” if he stays consistent. All three of his sacks came in the first game against the Cardinals, and he has 11 solo tackles in four games. He played in 72% of the snaps against the Ravens, with 15 of those snaps being pass-rush snaps.
Smolt has only played in two games since returning from a toe injury. He had two solo tackles against the Ravens and played in 27 snaps.
Solomon, who led the FBS in sacks last year, could be effective on passing downs. He’s played only 17 defensive snaps over the last two weeks but recorded his first strip sack against the Jaguars. He had one solo tackle against the Ravens in Week 4.
Buffalo Bills v. Jacksonville Jaguars
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