Von Miller says he's not putting a timetable on his return from knee surgery.
Yet the Buffalo Bills' star defensive end says his rehabilitation is going well. And he thinks his return to playing games is going to happen in the first half of the season, not the second.
Updates from Bills coach Sean McDermott's news conference on Tuesday ahead of the second organized team activity workout.
Miller, 34, has been through this rehab before. He tore his ACL on Dec. 22, 2013. He was back on the field for the season opener in 2014 and played all 16 games that season.
Asked if he has a timetable in his mind Tuesday, Miller said:
"No I don't. I did in 2013 when I tore my ACL I wanted to get back as fast as possible and play and show guys you don't need to take nine months to recover from an ACL."
"But my goals are different now," Miller said. "I want to be here for my team when they need me the most. I feel like late in the season when it really got tough, I wasn't able to be there because I was injured. So the most important thing for me is to be available when my team really needs me. If that's Week 1, then I'll be happy for that. If it's Week 6, I'll happy for that. But I guarantee it won't be any later than that."
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Week 6 would be a fast return. Miller sustained his injury in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24. The Bills' track record with players coming back from significant injuries is to proceed with caution. Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White tore knee ligaments on Thanksgiving night 2021 and made his return to the Bills 12 months to the day after – in the Detroit game last season.
Mark Gaughan
Bills/NFL writer
Gaughan's insight is featured in the "PlayAction" video series, providing analysis to get Bills fans ready for the next game. He is past president of the Pro Football Writers of America and served as a Pro Football Hall of Fame selector for 12 years.
