Projecting Matt Milano’s 2024 stats with the Buffalo Bills

There is a huge debate that, aside from Josh Allen, linebacker Matt Milano is the best player the Buffalo Bills have had since Sean McDermott arrived in Buffalo. He was a fifth-round draft pick out of Boston College and has been a steal. He made an immediate impact in his rookie season, earning him a starting role in McDermott’s defense. One of the few weaknesses in Milano’s game is staying healthy. He has never played a full season due to injuries. Last season, he only played five games before suffering a leg injury that kept him out the entire season.

Aside from last year, Milano’s presence is still felt on defense and overall, the unit plays well when he’s in the middle. In his career, he’s racked up 488 total tackles, 10.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and 9 fumble recoveries. For a fifth-round pick, that’s beyond great production.

Milan has only had Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier calling plays on defense during his career. He will now have Bobby Babich, who has been with the Bills since 2017 and is working with the secondary until 2022, when he was assigned to work with the linebackers and was ultimately promoted to defensive coordinator this past offseason.

Babich is well-respected in the Buffalo locker room by players and coaches alike, so it’s no surprise that he’s the one calling the shots for the defense. This is great news for Milan because Babich was the linebackers coach in 2022 when Milan earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and was named a first-team All-Pro.

As long as Milan can rediscover their old form under Babich, there is no doubt that he will be an influential player in the league once again. It took years for Milan to be recognised at the elite level and now everyone knows who he is. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has not regressed in his game and 2024 should be no different, provided he can avoid the injury bug.