Von Miller

6:34pm: Miller has turned himself in to the Glenn Heights Police and has already departed after posting a $5K bond, according to Josina Anderson.

10:34am: The Dallas Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for Bills defensive end Von Miller, according to WFAA’s Rebecca Lopez. This is in connection with alleged domestic violence.

Miller’s longtime girlfriend accused the 34-year-old pass rusher of assaulting her in their Dallas home Wednesday. Miller has not been arrested, but police are prepared to charge him with assault of a pregnant person, which Lopez notes is a third-degree felony in Texas. A Dallas-area native, Miller is in his second season with the Bills.

This incident occurred around 11am Wednesday, according to Spectrum News 1’s Jon Scott, and a preliminary investigation indicates Miller and his girlfriend engaged in a verbal argument before the accused player “assaulted the victim.” Miller left the scene before officers’ arrival. The woman was not transported to a hospital but received treatment for minor injuries, per Scott.

The Dallas Morning News has released additional details. During an argument between Miller and his girlfriend, the woman slamming the door made Miller “visibly angry,” according to a police report (via the Morning News’ Jamie Landers and Kelli Smith). Once Miller told the woman to leave, he is alleged to have pushed her and stomped on her laptop. Miller then allegedly pulled out a chunk of the woman’s hair and put his hands on her neck, applying pressure, according to Landers and Smith.

The affidavit indicates the woman had “minor abrasions” on her left hand, along with bruising on her abdomen, neck and left bicep. The indication by the woman she was calling the police prompted Miller to leave the couple’s apartment, per the Morning News. Miller’s girlfriend told police she is six weeks pregnant.

In 2021, a Colorado police department’s unspecified investigation into Miller did not produce charges. No details emerged surrounding that offseason issue, and Miller was not suspended. The details here are obviously problematic, and past NFL decisions have shown the league’s personal conduct policy does not require a conviction for a suspension to take place.

Miller signed a six-year, $120MM deal with the Bills in 2022, picking Buffalo over pursuits from the Rams and Cowboys. The future Hall of Famer has attempted to move past the ACL tear sustained on Thanksgiving 2022, but he has struggled in an effort to do so. In eight games, the 13th-year veteran does not have a sack. He has totaled just two tackles, working strictly as a backup for the Bills.

The Bills released a statement confirming they are aware of the arrest warrant. The team is currently in its bye week. In a statement, the NFL declined to comment about Miller’s potential placement on the commissioner’s exempt list, which would move him off the roster — with pay — while this matter is sorted out.

Following Miller’s second Super Bowl win, he prioritized a deal that guaranteed money into the third season of a contract. Neither the Cowboys nor Rams were willing to do so, but the Bills signing off on this aim finished off what was viewed at the time as a free agency win. Miller started off well in Buffalo, recording eight sacks in 11 games. But he has not recaptured the form he showed before his second ACL tear. Miller successfully bounced back from his first tear — in December 2013 — to become the best pass rusher in Broncos history and drive the team to a Super Bowl 50 win. Denver extended him at a defender-record rate the following offseason.

A suspension in connection with this alleged incident would put the veteran’s 2024 guaranteed money in jeopardy. Miller’s $17.1MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed for injury, and $10.71MM of that is fully guaranteed. A suspension would threaten to void those guarantees. Given Miller’s current form, a suspension would make it easier for the Bills to cut their losses. But it is too early to tell how this situation will play out.

The Bills’ first padded practice took place on Monday, giving safety Damar Hamlin the opportunity to reach another checkpoint in his encouraging recovery process. It also marked an chance for the team to update the status of their edge rushing anchor.

Von Miller remains on the PUP list while he continues to rehab the ACL tear which ended his debut season in Buffalo. The 34-year-old has provided optimism on the matter of his Week 1 availability on multiple occasions this offseason, indicating that he feels he will be recovered in full by the season opener. General manager Brandon Beane is also encouraged by Miller’s progress.

Beane said there is “definitely a possibility” the future Hall of Famer will be in the lineup for Week 1 when speaking to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (h/t NFL.com). He cautioned, however, that the team is “not quite there” with respect to deciding on how to proceed with Miller, who was limited to 11 games last season. The latter is on the active/PUP list, meaning he can be activated at any time during training camp.

Miller is familiar with ACL recoveries, having gone through the same process during his highly-decorated Broncos tenure. He was able to return to All-Pro form the first time, and doing so again would be crucial to the Bills’ short- and long-term success. The eight-time Pro Bowler is entering the second season of his six-year, $120MM deal signed last offseason, and he will be the key member of Buffalo’s pass-rushing unit upon return.

A cautious approach with Miller (who earlier in the offseason labeled Week 6 as the latest point at which he would make his 2023 debut) would come as little surprise given his importance, as well as the team’s depth on the edge. Buffalo signed Leonard Floyd last month in a deal which was agreed to independent of Miller’s status. The former will join Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and Carlos Basham Jr. as pass-rushing options to compliment Miller when he is healthy. If things stay on their current course, Buffalo could have a full array of edge defenders available when the season kicks off.

Von Miller has provided multiple updates this offseason with respect to his progress in rehabbing from a torn ACL, stating that he intends to be available to begin the regular season. His most recent comments are the most encouraging yet on that front.

[RELATED: Miller’s Health Didn’t Affect Bills’ Floyd Pursuit]

“I have good information from my doctor and my knee is all healed up,” Miller said, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News. “It’s all about me and how confident I can be [over] the next three months.”

The 34-year-old originally said Week 6 was the latest point at which he would return to game action, providing a baseline for expectations in his recovery. Miller has dealt with an ACL tear previously, and is central to the Bills’ pass rush considering the six-year, $120MM deal they signed him to last offseason. A cautious approach – like the one taken with cornerback Tre’Davious White in 2022 – would thus come as little surprise.

However, Miller has since indicated an expectation that he will be ready to suit up in time for Week 1, presuming the team feels comfortable with an accelerated return timeline. Their evaluation in the coming weeks will be critical, since a decision will soon need to be made on whether to place the future Hall of Famer on the physically unable to perform list during next month’s training camp. Electing not to do so would take away that option at the start of the season; a PUP designation sidelines a player for at least six weeks.

Alternatively, the Bills could choose to place Miller on IR after final roster cuts, which would make him ineligible for the first four games of the season. If the future Hall of Famer is able to return to form in practice in the near future, though, that step may not be necessary. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining how confident player and team feel heading into the 2023 season, one in which both face considerable expectations.

“Now I have to start working on my conditioning and position-specific drills and need to start transitioning back into a football player and not just a guy who is rehabbing and getting my leg strong,” Miller added. “Hopefully I can do that for the next two months and I’ll be ready on the third month.”

Von Miller continues to rehab his second career ACL tear, and attention continues to be paid to his recovery timeline. The Bills edge rusher has struck an optimistic tone with respect to his intended return date.

[RELATED: Bills Extend DT Ed Oliver]

The 34-year-old was limited to 11 contests in his debut Buffalo campaign, with his torn ACL marking a major blow to the team’s pass rush and Super Bowl aspirations. When asked about his recovery last month, Miller indicated that much remains to be seen, though he added that Week 6 could be the latest point at which he is next seen on the field.

Miller’s latest comments prove that he is eyeing a more immediate return, however. The longtime Bronco is satisfied with his recovery to date, something which is particularly encouraging considering the investment the Bills made in him last offseason. The future Hall of Famer is attached to a six-year, $120MM contract, making his health a top priority for the AFC contenders. Having Miller available for their regular season debut now may not be out of the question.

“10 years removed from [the 2013 ACL tear], 2023, I have a whole new outlook,” he said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “I know exactly where I’m supposed to be at two months, four months, six months and in the position where I’m at now, I feel great, I feel comfortable. I feel like I’ll be ready to go at the start of the season.

“Whenever it’s time for me to play, I’ll be ready to go. I want to be ready Week 1 versus the Jets… But if it’s not the first week of the season, then it won’t be any longer than Week 6, for sure.”

Whenever he is on the field, Miller will lead an edge rush group featuring recent draftees Gregory Rousseau, Carlos Basham Jr. and A.J. Epenesa, along with fellow veteran Shaq Lawson. The lack of signficant spending on the edge in terms of both free agent dollars and draft capital point to the Bills’ confidence in Miller’s ability to remain an All-Pro contributor following his rehab, and his level of play will be critical in 2023 and beyond.

Von Miller previously made it back from an ACL tear in time to start the following season, returning ahead of the 2014 slate despite suffering the injury in December 2013. Miller did not miss a game in 2014 and was available for every Broncos contest for the ensuing four years.

At 34, Miller is approaching his second such comeback differently. It does not sound like the Bills edge rusher is targeting Week 1 as a surefire comeback date from the ACL tear sustained on Thanksgiving. A return before the midseason point is squarely on the future Hall of Famer’s agenda, however.

“No, I don’t,” Miller said (via the Buffalo News’ Mark Gaughan) when asked if he had a firm return timetable. “I did in 2013 when I tore my ACL I wanted to get back as fast as possible and play and show guys you don’t need to take nine months to recover from an ACL. But my goals are different now. I want to be here for my team when they need me the most.

“I feel like late in the season when it really got tough, I wasn’t able to be there because I was injured. So the most important thing for me is to be available when my team really needs me. If that’s Week 1, then I’ll be happy for that. If it’s Week 6, I’ll happy for that. But I guarantee it won’t be any later than that.”

The 12-year veteran had kept the door open for a possible late-season return, as initial reports did not indicate an ACL tear. But doctors subsequently discovered a tear to lead to the shutdown. Miller missed the Bills’ final eight games.

The team’s caution with Tre’Davious White, who suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving 2021, would point to Miller missing the start of the season. While the two injuries are not equal, and full-year absences are not the norm for ACL recoveries. But the injuries occurring on Thanksgiving injects a rather key similarity. White did not come back to action until the Bills’ Thanksgiving game in Detroit. As such, Miller and White have barely shared the field thus far. Like the Bills missed White during their playoff shootout in Kansas City, their 2022 edition’s pass rush certainly lacked the punch it had when Miller was healthy.

Buffalo seems likely to place Miller on the active/PUP list when training camp starts. That camp-only designation will give the Bills flexibility, as they can either go game by game with Miller or stash their perennial Pro Bowl edge defender on the reserve/PUP list upon setting their roster. The latter course of action would sideline Miller for the season’s first four games — matchups against the Jets, Commanders, Raiders and Dolphins — while saving a roster spot.

Miller signed a six-year, $120MM Bills accord in March 2022, with the AFC East team outflanking the Rams and Cowboys for the former Super Bowl MVP’s services. Guarantees into Year 3 helped seal the deal. Miller produced early for his third NFL team, totaling eight sacks and 12 QB hits in 11 games. The Bills have re-signed a few defenders this offseason — Jordan Poyer, Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson among them — but did not make a major addition at defensive end. The team did not draft a D-lineman and will be counting on Miller to return to form.