ORCHARD PARK – Von Miller, the Buffalo Bills’ star edge rusher, has received a four-game suspension due to a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
While no explicit reasons were stated for the suspension, it is widely believed to be connected to domestic violence allegations made by his girlfriend, who is also the mother of his two children, back in November in Dallas. Although charges were ultimately not pursued after Miller voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement and cooperated with their investigation, the NFL’s potential for disciplinary action loomed large.
Following the allegations, Dallas police issued an arrest warrant for Miller, citing assault against the woman, with the charge classified as a third-degree felony. He was later released on a $5,000 bond after turning himself in.
In the aftermath, the woman publicly asserted to a Dallas news outlet, “We’re fine. Things were blown way out of context. This is actually outrageous! No one assaulted anyone. This is insane. And sad.”
When queried about the situation, Miller denied any wrongdoing.
General manager Brandon Beane provided comments on the issue a few days later, addressing speculation regarding whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would place Miller on the commissioner’s exempt list, which would prevent him from playing until the league’s review concluded. Beane stated, “We don’t expect anything based on our conversations. Anytime it’s an ongoing investigation, if something was uncovered, the commissioner does have that option at any point. If he feels there was something that, hey, this doesn’t look good or something like that, they could, but with our knowledge of what we have today, we don’t expect that.” Miller was ultimately not placed on the exempt list.
On the opening day of training camp at St. John Fisher University, Miller addressed the incident, asserting, “No charges were ever filed and the case is closed. I’m able to just move forward and focus solely on football. Life sometimes, but my life is all about football right now and my kids and being the best teammate and best football player I can possibly be. I’m happy to be here with the Buffalo Bills. I’m happy to just be in this moment, living my life and doing the things that we do normally.”
As a consequence of the suspension, Miller will miss upcoming games against the Texans, Jets, Titans, and Seahawks, with a potential return on November 3 against the Dolphins.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Bills bolstered their roster by signing defensive tackle Zion Logue from the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad, necessitating a vacancy on the active 53-man roster. Speculation surrounded who would be released, but it has now been confirmed that Logue will fill Von Miller’s spot.
Logue had a strong start to the season, recording a sack in each of his first three games before being shut out in Sunday night’s game against the Ravens, where he only played nine defensive snaps due to the Ravens’ run-heavy strategy. As Miller, now 35, has primarily transitioned to a pass-rushing role at this stage of his career, Logue’s addition could prove timely for the Bills.
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