Miller of the Bills will start the season on the PUP list

The Buffalo Bills were hopeful Von Miller would be healthy enough to suit up in Week 1.

Turns out, the earliest he'll play is Week 5.

The Bills are keeping the three-time All Pro on the PUP list ahead of Tuesday's deadline, meaning he's ineligible for at least the first four games of the 2023 NFL season.

Miller, 34, has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 12 of the 2022 season, and it had been reported last week that the Bills weren't ruling out the eight-time Pro Bowler returning for the September 11 season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.

He's been training with the team throughout training camp, though has yet to partake in a fully-padded practice and the Bills ultimately decided to give him more time to recover from the surgery he underwent last December.

The earliest he could possibly begin his 12th NFL season is Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 8 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Miller, who signed a six-year, $120million contract with the Bills in March 2022 after helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl, finished his first season with the Bills tied with Greg Rousseau for the team lead with eight sacks despite playing in just 11 games. His 48 quarterback pressures were one fewer than Rousseau's for the team lead, and his pressure-rate of 20.8 was highest on Buffalo.

The league's active leader with 123.5 sacks, Miller has recorded eight consecutive seasons of eight or more sacks - the longest active streak in the NFL.

With Miller out, the Bills will rely on Leonard Floyd, who signed with the team over the summer, and Rousseau to generate a pass rush.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Sports Tak Staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)