The Buffalo Bills are not yet done with free agency. While the bulk of their offseason acquisitions are complete, the Bills adjusted linebacker Matt Milano’s contract after two consecutive injury-shortened seasons.
Milano previously had two years remaining on his current deal but will now become a free agent in 2026, per Jordan Schultz. In addition to removing the final year of his contract, the Bills gave the linebacker a $3 million pay cut that can be made back in incentives.
A former first-team All-Pro in 2022, Milano was once known as the cornerstone of the Bills’ elite defense. However, since his All-Pro campaign, Milano has appeared in just 12 of Buffalo’s last 39 games. He has spent the majority of each of the past two seasons on injured reserve with various ailments.
The injuries have limited Milano to just 46 total tackles since 2023. In that time, he ceded significant playing time to Terrel Bernard and Baylon Spector, both of whom have since become more valuable to the team than Milano.
Ahead of his ninth season, Milano will turn 31 in July. To this point, he has spent his entire career with the Bills, who took him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Matt Milano’s contract reduction aids Bills’ struggling cap situation
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Since the beginning of free agency, the Bills have done the best they can to give themselves more wiggle room in terms of salary cap limits. His play has noticeably declined, but Milano’s pay cut appears to be a product of Buffalo’s messy payroll situation more than anything else.
In the team’s current state, general manager Brandon Beane admitted to prioritizing creating cap space for the incoming rookie class. Buffalo currently has the third-fewest cap room in the league after signing Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, Joshua Palmer and Laviska Shenault Jr. in free agency. The Bills also inked Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir to lofty extensions to keep them with the team for the foreseeable future.
Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Bills will have 10 total picks to use in Green Bay. Beane’s top selections will be the No. 30 overall pick, followed by the No. 56 and No. 62 picks late in the second round. From there, Buffalo will not be on the clock again until Round 4, as its seven remaining selections will come in the final three rounds. Assuming Beane uses all of his picks, the team will have a bevy of incoming rookies to sign new deals with.
