The Buffalo Bills’ defense will receive a significant boost for Sunday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers and the stretch run of the 2024 season.
The team activated linebacker Matt Milano on Saturday. The former All-Pro is expected to appear in his first game since Oct. 8, 2023, when he suffered a season-ending leg injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has been sidelined for the first 11 games of the 2024 campaign due to a biceps injury.
Even without Milano, Buffalo’s defense has been a top-10 unit in the NFL this season. If he can step in and start playing like he did before the injuries, getting him back into the middle of the defense will make it more formidable.
When he does return, he may experience some early struggles, given that he is 30 and has not played football in 14 months. But once he shakes off that rust, an already solid Bills’ defense has a chance to become even better.
Buffalo selected Milano in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and has been a starter ever since. His best season came in 2022 when he was selected to the Pro Bowl and voted a first-team All-Pro.
The Bills (9-2) have a commanding lead in the AFC East and the second-best AFC record overall. They remain just one game back of the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 1 seed and already hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating them earlier this season.
