Bills LB Matt Milano says he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet
Bills linebacker Matt Milano is likely one of the best draft picks the team has made. He certainly is in terms of the past decade or two.
A fifth-round pick in 2017, Milano exceeded early expectations. The 26-year-old has turned into a prototypical modern-day linebacker… and an elite one at that.
Recently chatting with the Orlando Sentinel, the Florida native gave some thoughts on his offseason-to-date. Things got interesting since last season ended as Milano looked poised to be the top linebacker on the free agent market at one point.
Instead, he re-signed with the Bills, and despite all the promise he’s shown so far, Milano thinks he’s going to be even better for Buffalo’s defense moving forward.
“It’s a never-ending ceiling,” Milano said.
Milano admitted a big truth as well. Him potentially not reaching his full potential just yet is not for a lack of trying. Milano just has had a problem staying on the field. Last season, he struggled with some health concerns, including pectoral and hamstring issues.
Despite that, he’s optimistic for some future health improvement.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy and I’m ready to get back at it,” Milano said. “There’s always more show, always more to do, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
This is perhaps a feeling shared by the team as well. The Bills stuck to their guns and expressed their desire to get Milano back in the fold throughout the offseason. Eventually, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane managed to do just that via a big four-year extension.
“All along, we had hoped to get Matt back. I think if we hadn’t had the pandemic and lowering of the cap and uncertainty of where everything would be, I think we would have gotten Matt extended last year,” Beane said at his post-free agency press conference.
Now heading into 2021 after a trip to the AFC Championship Game, the Bills have even higher expectations for the team… Naturally, Milano shares those.
“Super Bowl bound,” Milano said to the Sentinel about the future for next season. “That’s the goal every year, to make it to the Super Bowl. That’s definitely on our minds.”
