ORCHARD PARK, NY — Buffalo Bills pass-rusher By Miller is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury, coach Sean McDermott announced Wednesday.
Miller underwent exploratory surgery in Texas on Tuesday and was diagnosed with an ACL tear in his right knee. The pass-rusher was placed on injured reserve prior to the team’s game against the New England Patriots last Thursday. He was expected to return this season. Miller said on his podcast last week that he hopes to be back before this Sunday’s game against the New York Jets.
The Bills (9-3) are currently in first place in the AFC with three games remaining in the AFC East.
“Unfortunate situation, Vaughn, obviously, and our team. Take care of him, obviously, as we would any player,” McDermott said. “We know how much it means to him in terms of playing and being with the team, so we’re looking forward to having him back, obviously for the rest of the season and his leadership off the field, and we’re certainly thinking about him as he recovers here.”
The Super Bowl 50 MVP suffered the injury late in the first half of the team’s win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Miller, who signed a six-year, $120 million contract with the Bills in the offseason, has started every game this season except last Thursday and leads the team with eight sacks and 38 pressures.
“Listen, you worry about every player, OK, when guys go down it affects you,” McDermott said. “It’s the business we do, it’s a physical game, so we take care of everybody. Of course, we take care of Vonn in this case and we miss him. But like I said last week when he went out, it’s a time and opportunity for other guys to step up.”
In the team’s first full game without Miller against the Patriots, the Bills defense pressured the quarterback Mac Jones 39.5% of his dropbacks — the second-highest rate of his career.
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