Matt Milano may have one last chance to win Bills a Super Bowl

Buffalo Bills' linebacker Matt Milano is entering the final season of his contract.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano after recovering a fumble against the New York Jets. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is one of a handful of players that has been through each of the team's last seven playoff appearances.

Milano has been a key part of the team's ascent towards the top of the AFC hierarchy, but he is approaching the final years of his career.

Milano turns 31 next month and his contract is set to expire, which is why NFL.com writer Nick Shook named the Bills linebacker as a "make-or-break" player for the upcoming season.

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Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Football can be a cruel game sometimes," Shook wrote.

"Take the recent turn in Milano's career, for example. He finally received All-Pro recognition in 2022, only to follow it up with two injury-plagued seasons that limited him to a combined total of nine games in that stretch. He's in the final year of his contract and turns 31 years old in July. His inclusion on this list isn't so much about preserving or capitalizing on significant earning power, but it is tied to returning strong with the only NFL team he's ever known -- a team that has Super Bowl ambitions."

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It remains to be seen how much Milano will be able to contribute for the Bills this season. If he stays healthy and finds the same level of production he had in his All-Pro year, the Bills may find a way to keep him beyond 2025.

There's a good chance, however, that 2025 will be Milano's final season in western New York, so helping the Bills achieve that lucrative Super Bowl ring will either come now or never for him.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is all smiles as he heads towards the bench with the ball. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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