Past Bills' All Pro shown respect in PFF positional rankings

The 2022 first-team All-Pro hasn't seen the field much since his breakout season

Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) smiles after making a tackle during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills' starting linebacker Matt Milano has only played nine games since being named first-team All Pro in 2022. A tibia fracture in 2023 and a bicep tear during training camp in 2024 has forced the linebacker to spend a lengthy amount of time on IR.

Milano's first game since Week 5 of 2023 was Week 13 of 2024, Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs, the linebacker slowly began returning to top form, before Buffalo's season was cut short in the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City.

While it's easy to optimistically project that Milano will reclaim his spot as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL, it's not a guarantee, which is why he was named an "honorable mention" by Mason Cameron in PFF's top 32 linebacker rankings.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) leaps for a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Cameron writes, "The last time we saw a full season of action from the veteran in 2022, he posted a top-15 PFF overall grade at the position and his 83.2 PFF coverage grade was the fourth-highest mark in the NFL. If he can return to form in 2025, he will be a welcome boost to Buffalo's young defense."

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Milano's 2022 season included 99 combined tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks, and a Pro Bowl nod. Since then, he's totaled 46 total tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in nine games across two seasons. His return to elite play would provide a critical role to Buffalo's defensive success in 2025.

Team captain Terrel Bernard was not included on the ranking, as the linebacker has traditionally not received favorable grades from PFF. In 2024, Bernard's 47.6 overall grade ranked 165th among linebackers, and his 36.8 coverage grade was 168th. Clearly, the Bills view him differently, giving him a four year, $42 million extension this offseason, making him the 11th highest paid linebacker in the NFL.

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) reacts after his interception with linebacker Terrel Bernard (43) during the first half against the New York Jets | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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