Tag: Brandon Beane

Von Miller on future with Buffalo Bills: ‘I want to be here’

Von Miller on future with Buffalo Bills: ‘I want to be here’

The 2025 offseason will be filled with important decisions for the Buffalo Bills that will steer the franchise going forward.

The team has 16 free agents to be mindful of this offseason, but one of the team’s most important decisions will be regarding a player already under contract.

Veteran and likely Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller’s future in Buffalo is largely up in the air.

His age (36 in March), recent injury history (2022 ACL and meniscus tear), and contract (owed $17.5M in 2025) make him a cut candidate for Bills general manager Brandon Beane.

Instead of paying a base salary of $17.5 million in 2025, the Bills could cut Miller and save about $8.5 million on the salary cap.

Miller addressed his future with the Bills following the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game:

“However long my key card works in this building, I’m gonna keep coming up in here and I’m going to keep coming in and trying to make [a Super Bowl] happen. I want to be here. I plan on being a Buffalo Bill for sure.”

Over his three years in Buffalo, Miller has appeared in 36 games and started in 11. He has 14 sacks over that time, with eight coming in 2022, zero in 2023 (recovering from knee surgery), and six in 2024.

His 2024 season got off to a rough start as he was hit with a suspension that sidelined him for four games early in the year. However, he played well in the second half of 2024.

He led the entire NFL in quarterback pressure rate after Week 13 (25.5%). He was playing only limited snaps, but he was playing at an elite level when he was on the field.

Now, the Bills are forced to make a decision on Miller, who was signed in 2022 in hopes of getting Buffalo “over the hump” and playing in the Super Bowl. With a couple more injuries and a few more years under Miller’s belt, his $17.5 million salary in 2025 doesn’t look great from a cap perspective.

If the Bills and Miller part ways, his replacement on the edge could come via a trade. Rumors of the Bills trading for a defensive end have been swirling since the season’s end, especially since Myles Garrett requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. This left Bills fans wondering about the possibilities of Garrett in Buffalo, and even left tackle Dion Dawkins showed his best recruiting efforts to land the star edge rusher.

If Beane and the Bills are looking for a splash on the defensive line this off-season, Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Trey Hendrickson are names to watch.

The Bills’ front office has plenty to work on regarding roster construction, but the decision with Miller seems like it would need to be one of the first dominos to fall.

Bills’ Brandon Beane: ‘Little disappointed’ in Keon Coleman

Bills’ Brandon Beane: ‘Little disappointed’ in Keon Coleman

Bills rookie receiver Keon Coleman was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the Bills’ first high-profile moves following the departures of their top two targets in the passing game that offseason.

This year, as a new offseason begins, he’ll have some work to do to develop ahead of his second professional campaign to rise closer to the potential for which he was drafted.

Coleman had a notable dip in his production in the final stretch of Buffalo’s season, though in Joe Brady’s offense, his targets could be more situational and less frequent.

Making the need for making a play when the ball is thrown his way all the more important.

During his end-of-season press conference, GM Brandon Beane noted a Week 9 wrist injury as a potential point where that shift took place.

“I would say probably was a little disappointed in the return from the injury,” he said about Coleman’s final six games. “I did not see the same player down the stretch from a physicality, some of the things that he needs to use his size.”

“He was really starting to get it,” head coach Sean McDermott added. “And then he had the injury, he didn’t play his best down the stretch and some of it was due to coming off the injury but it is something he can learn from and improve on moving forward.”

That injury was sustained in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins when safety Jordan Poyer made helmet contact with the 21-year-old Coleman’s hand, which caused him to miss four games.

Amidst the well-dispersed and spread-out Joe Brady offense, the Bills still don’t have a clear No. 1 receiving option for big moments, which showed at times down the stretch.
For example, when the offense failed to convert a fourth-and-5 against Kansas City in the AFC Championship game.
They did add WR Amari Cooper, who could re-sign with the team as he fits as a high-caliber receiver, and with the Bills’ culture, but who also dealt with injury late in the season.
Regardless, Buffalo will look to high-draft selections such as Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid to take the next steps to put in the work in their offseason in the hope they’ll see a step forward in their development as well.
Beane said as much about both members of the Bills’ offense during his media session while reminding the press that Coleman is still a younger player, and showed some promise in his first season with the club.
“He’s a young player, we got to remember,” Beane said. “And some of the guys that get drafted in the first round are 24 or 25. So let’s give him a little grace here. His career will not be defined by one season, and he did some good things. … He’s going to have to work very hard this offseason, him and Josh continue to work on that rapport together. But I’m optimistic that he’ll do those things and that we’ll see him continue to improve going into year two.”

Bills’ Brandon Beane backs decision to trade for Amari Cooper

Bills’ Brandon Beane backs decision to trade for Amari Cooper

Veteran receiver Amari Cooper joined the Bills via trade this season, adding some needed pro talent to a position where the team was looking to replace productivity after losing their top targets in the offseason.

Yet he was the least-used target in their final games, raising questions about his productivity.

Cooper came to Buffalo in a deal with the Browns, making some big plays and contributions in some games while seemingly mostly commanding coverage in others.

“I think he did a great job of learning our offense in fairness to him in due time,” GM Brandon Beane said to the media about Cooper. “He suffered the wrist injury, obviously, banged his back and missed some games but fought through it.”

Injuries to the Bills’ pass catchers were a factor that impacted the passing game late in the season, as was some questionable play-calling as Joe Brady is still developing in his second professional run as an offensive coordinator.

“You guys kind of know the mantra that was established this year by Josh and Joe Brady of everybody eats,” Beane added. “Adding him was not going to get away from that, but does that take a little pressure off of Shakir, Knox, Kincaid, the run game, all that? So I do not regret the move. I think it did help us. I think it did help us despite what his personal numbers were.”

In terms of snaps, Cooper was the least-used receiver in the games he played for Buffalo.

While an injury certainly was a factor, so was the learning curve.

“You’re talking about a player who’s never been in this offensive system,” Beane continued. “He’s got to learn the playbook, he’s never thrown with Josh Allen. You have to acclimate with your team, learn an offense. The games keep going and so I think he did a great job of learning our offense in fairness to him in due time. He suffered the wrist injury, obviously, banged his back, and missed some games but fought through it. Honestly, his wrist could have required surgery and I feel sure that at least one of the doctors recommended it, but he wanted to keep playing.”

Bills QB Josh Allen voiced his support as well.

“I’ve got nothing but love and respect for Amari Cooper,” Allen said. “I will never in my life say a bad thing about him. For him to come into this situation and understand the role that he was brought here to do, he is a true football player, a true teammate, and I’m just honored to share the field with him.”

When asked if he wanted to return to the Bills as he now is a free agent, Cooper said, “I mean, just to give it another run, have another opportunity at doing what we just did. But, you know, obviously finishing, so yeah. Been through a lot this year – injuries, trades, and things of that nature. Just keep going and never stop until you know it’s time to stop.”

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: Bills must make two moves to reach Super Bowl (video)

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: Bills must make two moves to reach Super Bowl (video)

As the Buffalo Bills prepare to enter the 2025 NFL offseason, GM Brandon Beane and company will look for ways to improve the roster.

Analyst and former pro signal caller Dan Orlovsky has some insights on where to do just that.

Reaching the AFC championship with a retooled and younger roster in 2024 offers some promise regarding what could be accomplished in the club’s 2025 campaign.

During an appearance on One Bills Live, Orlovsky pointed out where he sees the greatest areas of need for Buffalo to get “over the hump” in such games to reach the Super Bowl.

The former QB has enjoyed a successful second career as an on-air analyst and has indicated on social media an interest in someday returning to the sidelines as a coach.

Here is the full clip breaking down those needs on both sides of the ball:

 

11 takeaways from Bills’ Brandon Beane end-of-season press conference

11 takeaways from Bills’ Brandon Beane end-of-season press conference

The Buffalo Bills have started to put their finishes touches on their 2024 NFL season.

Following an early exit by their standards after a 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship, players and coaches took in locker room cleanout day. During that, both speak with reporters for the final time.

General manager Brandon Beane had his presser and discussed numerous topics during his chat.

Here are 11 takeaways from Beane’s end-of-season press conference:

Still confident

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After a heartbreaking end of the year in Kansas City, like head coach Sean McDermott, Beane expressed he still has confidence in his team’s roster. Changes will come, but the correct core is there in his mind.

“This team did a lot of really good things this season,” Beane said. “Keep kicking the door and you’re going to knock it down.”

Thinks Allen had it

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It’s not even a Bills fan thing anymore, it’s turning into an NFL fan feeling. Many across the football world thought quarterback Josh Allen did get the first down late against the Chiefs… but was ruled short.

Consider Beane among those who believes that.

“It’s frustrating,” Beane said. “There’s only so much I can say. You know, I don’t,  you know, we work with the league to try to get clarity. And I’ll give them credit. They’ve taken our calls. They’ve sent video and things like that. I just, you know, I wish, you know, if you’re talking about the fourth-down play that was, you know–I feel like, you know, he got that. And I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that.”

Not going to focus on Chiefs

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Beane said he does not believe in building a roster just to beat one team specifically. Considering the Bills will face many foes in 2025, that’s probably smart.

Naturally, he was referring to Kansas City.

In fact, the GM called it “dangerous.”

Two directions for tight ends

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Both Beane and McDermott have admitted the front office expected more out of tight end Dalton Kincaid in his second season. Kincaid is in the spotlight now because of his late drop against the Chiefs. Beyond that, more was needed in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Beane added some praise for Dawson Knox, saying he had his most consistent year of his career.

No signs on a few futures on defense

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A few names to watch on the Bills defense going forward are pass rusher Von Miller and defensive back Damar Hamlin.

Miller has an out in his contract and could be gone this offseason. Hamlin’s rookie contract will expire.

Beane did not provide much on what could happen. He beat around the bush.

Not a good nod for Kaiir Elam

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Cornerback Christian Benford went down with a concussion and did not return against the Chiefs. Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam replaced Benford and the messages about Elam have finally started getting truthful from both Beane and McDermott. He has not been good.

Micah was never getting out there

Veteran Micah Hyde surprisingly returned to the Bills in the middle of the 2024 season after flirting with retirement. He has since gone on to confirm that he is done playing.

Hyde never actually got on the field despite coming back… and Beane admitted that was always the plan.

Keon needs to be better

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Likewise to Kincaid, Keon Coleman was discussed. Beane said after a wrist injury, the rookie did not play as well as he did prior to it. The GM and McDermott both expect more from Coleman in 2025.

“I would say probably was a little disappointed in the return from the injury,” Beane said. “I did not see the same player down the stretch.”

Not big spenders

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In what has become a yearly tradition as his end-of-season presser, Beane said he does not expect the Bills to be big spenders in free agency.

Then again, that can change and has for Beane in the past.

Amari Cooper trade review

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No regrets from Beane on trading for Amari Cooper at the 2024 NFL trade deadline despite his up-and-down play. Like Coleman, Cooper had a wrist injury and he could have gotten surgery on it but he decided to play through it… which didn’t help.

“I do think Amari helped our offense,” Beane said. “Did he put up All-Pro numbers in the games he was here? No. I think that’s for various reasons. Again, our offense improved

It remains to be seen if Cooper is back in 2025 as he is a pending free agent as well.

Defending Sean

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If anyone is a critic of McDermott coaching the Bills, do not let Beane hear it. He backed McDermott in a big way, not that we’d expect the GM to do anything else.

But Beane did go a further step and take any blame anyone has and put it on himself.

“Blame me. Like there’s things I could have done better to help Josh Allen more, or to help Sean McDermott more,” he said.”Maybe there’s things if I did better, that would have made the play. Maybe if I would have signed a different person, draft a different person. Traded a different … like there’s so many different things that I go through. I think you just got to ignore that noise.”

 

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager praises Bills GM Brandon Beane (video)

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager praises Bills GM Brandon Beane (video)

The Buffalo Bills put the finishing touches on their 2024 NFL season with locker cleanout day and their end-of-season interviews.

Included in those conversations was general manager Brandon Beane.

Naturally, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in a 32-29 final in the AFC championship was brought up.

Beane mentioned how close he feels his team is to changing their fortunes in such occasions and he didn’t make any excuses for losing.

“We’re right there. I don’t know what else you expect to do, I mean, other than if you think we should blow the roster up or strip it down,” Beane said.

Recapping the chat Beane had, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager praised him.

“He is saying exactly what you want to hear, but he’s not being a poor sport about it,” Schrager said

The full breakdown on Beane can be found below.

Brandon Beane provides Josh Allen, Christian Benford, Amari Cooper injury updates

Brandon Beane provides Josh Allen, Christian Benford, Amari Cooper injury updates

It’s not all and well in Buffalo Bills land, but there were some positive updates provided on the health of a few of the team’s top players at least.

General manager Brandon Beane had his end-of-season press conference on Thursday at One Bills Drive. During the slew of questions he answered, injury news was mentioned.

Buffalo’s 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship featured three players getting dinged up: quarterback Josh Allen, cornerback Christian Benford, and wide receiver Amari Cooper.

It was revealed by Allen that he sustained an injury to his right-throwing hand near halftime of the contest. Some speculation has swirled relating to the type of issue, but per Beane, Allen did not break any bones in it.

That update from the GM makes sense as the QB played through the knock in the second half.

As compared to Allen, Benford had a much more serious problem.

Heading into the game, Benford was cleared from a concussion. He sustained another in Kansas City and was forced to leave the contest.

Beane said Benford is still in the concussion protocol, but added he was smiling when he recently saw him and felt that was a good sign of his progress.

Meanwhile, Cooper was dealing with an issue that predated the AFC title contest.

Cooper had appeared on injury reports throughout the 2024 season with a wrist injury–after he was acquired via trade.

Cooper evidently had a serious wrist issue because he could have had surgery on it. Instead, he opted to play through it:

Bills Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the offseason.

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Bills’ Sean McDermott thought Josh Allen got first on fourth-down sneak vs. Chiefs

Bills’ Sean McDermott thought Josh Allen got first on fourth-down sneak vs. Chiefs

The Bills’ postseason has again ended in a loss to the Chiefs, and it hasn’t been without a mixture of feelings about the game and the loss.

On the one hand, Buffalo showed signs of strong play at times, though on the other hand, messy play at others. The team stayed focused, however, and pressed on through the game to keep it competitive.

The Chiefs also performed competitively enough to go toe to toe with Buffalo, but their win was not without controversy.

Such as on a fourth-and-1 conversion rushing attempt by Bills QB Josh Allen via a quarterback sneak play from the Kansas City 41-yard line with 13:00 left in the fourth quarter and a 22-21 lead.

Line Judge Jeff Seeman and Down Judge Patrick Holt had different spots and lines of sight, the one with a better potential view of the ball (Seeman) indicated Allen got the first down, but he then deferred to the one who couldn’t have seen it and called it short (Holt).

The officiating crew’s review did not result in overturning the spot and Kansas City got the ball, scoring a few plays later.

However, replays clearly show that Buffalo not only got the first down but also that they did so on the previous play as well, a third-down pass completion to TE Dalton Kincaid.

“The look we had in the stadium … I thought he had it,” HC Sean McDermott said about the QB sneak. “Just short of the line was actually the first down, what it looked like to me when it was sitting next to me with the marker. Just inside that white stripe was the first down. It looked like he got to it. That’s all I can say.”

He also acknowledged how much that fourth-down stop matters in a game like that one.

“Yeah. Of course, it does. Darn right, it does,” he added. “That’s a possession. We’re up one point at the time. A chance to go up maybe multiple scores at that point. It’s a big call. It’s absolutely a big call.”

The miscalled first fourth down attempt that gave Kansas City the ball happened at an important time that would have kept Buffalo’s drive alive.

“It’s been our best play all year at one or inside of one yard (to go), we won some of those, but to your point, they were doing a good job,” McDermott added.

“I thought overall, maybe we could have disguised it. Maybe not. But at the end of the day, we have confidence in Josh and our offensive line to get those. Been getting them all year.”

Allen realized the importance of the points they could have added to the scoreboard to the game outcome as well.

“We’re constantly knocking at the door. And when you’re playing a team like the Chiefs, you can’t just knock. You’ve got to kick the door down,” he said to the media.

The Bills’ second turnover on downs happened with under 2 minutes remaining in the game, with a chance to tie or take the lead in a three-point game Allen amazingly made a pass in the face of blitzing defenders to the hands of Kincaid who didn’t haul it in.

The Bills didn’t get the ball back again.

The first fourth-down turnover in possession led to a Chiefs touchdown while the second one allowed them to run out the clock and win the game.

The game brought under the microscope the need for better regulation of officiating and heightened importance for the NFL to adapt better and modern technology to improve on imperfect processes such as spotting the ball in a scrum.

The league currently uses chips embedded in the balls to measure some information but not to spot location, despite the tech being readily available.

Kansas City has shown a past ability to rise to a level of play that has garnered descriptions from such as “greatness” and “Mahomes Magic,” when describing its quarterback.

However, in the past couple of seasons, imbalanced miscalls from referees in critical situations has undermined and discredited their legacy while driving some NFL fans away.

In the AFC Championship game alone there was a handful of such instances that directly impacted the outcome.

One was a pass from Mahomes into a coverage battle among two rookies, Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy and Bills corner Cole Bishop, who went up and made a play on the ball. Bishop almost wrestled the ball away, but regardless, neither had control and it touched the ground as the two came down.

The play was reviewed and ruled a completed catch, the Chiefs scored a touchdown on their next possession to take a 29-22 lead.

On a Chiefs possession, they were not flagged for a delay of game when running out the clock one second before a 2-minute warning.

Another no-flag came when non-factor Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce taunted Bills safety Damar Hamlin after a Mahomes TD run.

Another when he flopped after turning around to find a much larger Bills defensive tackle, Jordan Phillips defending his teammate (Phillips was instead flagged for unnecessary roughness for a helmet butt to Kelce.)

There was also a Chiefs punt return with multiple uncalled holds on Kansas City, and a Mahomes play where a nearby Chiefs lineman held a Bills defender by the neck and facemask right in front of an official.

Still, Allen has his focus on the prize the morning after the game.

“We’re going to continue to turn every stone over…to try to bring a Lombardi back here to Western New York.”

Sean McDermott: Bills will ‘figure it out’ after another Chiefs loss

Sean McDermott: Bills will ‘figure it out’ after another Chiefs loss

The Buffalo Bills fell to a familiar foe in their second trip to the AFC Championship game in head coach Sean McDermott’s tenure.

The Kansas City Chiefs won another postseason matchup against the Bills by a final score of 32-29 to stay undefeated in their postseason matchups with Buffalo in the postseason during the Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen era.

“We’ve got to keep working to get over that hump,” McDermott said during his postgame media availability. “We’ve won a lot of tough games this year against really good opponents, (we have) good coaches and I’m proud of this football team for it.”

He also noted “There’s momentum going into next year” and that he is “Thankful for the success we had this year.”

The spectrum of emotions and reflection on the 2024 season and playoff run were evident among the players and coaches after the loss.

“Everybody’s got one goal, but only one team handles the goal at the end of every year,” veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas said after the game, per The Buffalo News. “All other 31 is just trying to get to that goal.”

Veteran outside linebacker Von Miller is no stranger to big games in the playoffs, having won Super Bowls with the Broncos and Rams. He realizes that it’s normal as players to put this game under the microscope and examine the ways things could have been different, while also acknowledging the positive takeaways.

“Man, after a loss like that, sometimes it’s if we could have did this, if we could have did that, if we could have did this, maybe the outcome would have been different,” the pass rusher said per NFL Network‘s Cameron Wolfe.

“But we did everything in our power to win this game. It just wasn’t for us. Losses hurt. It’s supposed to hurt. Adversity like this reveals character. We’ve got high-character guys in this whole organization, and we’ll be back.”

He was not alone in his assessment that believes Buffalo will play their way back to this round of the playoffs with another chance to advance in the future.

“We could get right back here,” corner Taron Johnson said to the press in the locker room. “We have the ability to get to the Super Bowl.”

The postseason losses to Kansas City do not get any easier, especially when there were opportunities to win the game.

Nonetheless, the mission to overcome those obstacles to advance to the Super Bowl remains in focus for the Bills.

Their front office and coaching staff will now be tasked with an offseason in which to improve the roster and the team’s chances of returning to the AFC Championship game with a chance to do just that.

“This is obviously a challenge for us, but we’ll figure it out,” head coach Sean McDermott added.

Bills’ Josh Allen on another Chiefs loss: ‘We didn’t get it done’

Bills’ Josh Allen on another Chiefs loss: ‘We didn’t get it done’

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 32-19 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.

It was the Bills‘ second time reaching the conference title contest in Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen’s career, as the team far exceeded offseason expectations.

The Chiefs, however, continued their winning ways against them in the postseason.

“It’s not fun,” Allen said during a somber press conference after the loss. “To be the champs, you have to beat the champs. And we didn’t do that.”

The Bills overcame a sloppy start to fight into a close game in the second half, but ultimately the Chiefs would score a field goal that would put them ahead, and Allen and the offense would not convert under pressure on 4th down in their final possession.

The play got blown up, and Allen was able to make a play despite a full-on rush attack by the Chiefs. His target, tight end Dalton Kincaid, was not able to do so.

“We’re a good team. They’re a good team. It’s just unfortunate how that last play turned out,” Kincaid said in the locker room postgame.

“Should be a catch,” he stated about his final play. “I believe you grow from this but for the time being it hurts a lot.”

This was the Bills’ second consecutive playoff loss to the Chiefs which will be remembered for a dropped pass late in the game, as former Bill Stefon Diggs missed on a deep ball last season.

The game was peppered with some visible incorrect calls by the officials that cost Buffalo and impacted the outcome of the game.

It was also peppered with instances where the Bills had difficulty protecting the ball.

Still, Allen made no excuses afterward for the outcome.

“You can either get it done, or you can’t,” he added, “and we didn’t get it done.”

The Bills have now lost all four postseason meetings against the Mahomes-led Chiefs team since 2020 and have lost eight straight road playoff games. Allen-led Bills teams are 0-2 in the AFC Championship.

It is the first time in NFL playoff history that a team has eliminated another one four times in a five-season span.

Despite this, the Buffalo roster showed signs of being closer to competing and beating the defending champion Chiefs, including an elite performance by running back James Cook and some competitive stops by the defense.

Teams with four-plus touchdowns and no turnovers are 21-2 in the playoffs with the only two losses being Buffalo’s against Kansas City in Sunday’s game and the 2021 Divisional round.

Amidst a mostly silent Bills locker room after the game, offensive lineman Dion Dawkins gave offensive coordinator Joe Brady a hug. “We’ve got the right soldiers to knock. And eventually, the door is going to open” he noted when speaking to the press.

The Bills will now turn to an important offseason where they will need to make the necessary moves off the field to compete to do just that on it next season and beyond.