The Bills still need help at linebacker with training camp a month and a half away.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano on the field in street clothes before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Imagesand one way they could shake things up is by injecting some life into the expected positional battle for a starting spot at inside linebacker.
The most obvious way the team could do so is by bringing back one of two remaining free agents who played for the team last season: Matt Milano or Shaq Thompson.and now is expected to, at the very least, compete for a starting role with 2026 fourth-round pick Kaleb Elarms-Orr, who has made it his mission to begin Year 1 on the Bills’ first-team defense. With that said, given both players’ inexperience, the Bills may be inclined to pursue a late addition before training camp.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell is tackled out of bounds by Buffalo Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Both Milano and Thompson each played over 400 defensive snaps for the Bills in 2025, when the team cycled through several different players at the position due to injury and underperformance.
The Bills drafted Milano with the No. 163 overall pick in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and he spent nine years in Buffalo before hitting the open market this offseason. He’s been a solid contributor for the Bills during his time on the field, but his health has been a significant concern. He has played in just 21 games over the last three seasons following his first-team All-Pro selection in 2022.
Pro Football Focus overall defensive grade of 68.8, which was fifth-highest on the team among qualified defenders and first among Bills linebackers. The trouble with both players is their age, as Milano is 31 years old and Thompson is 32. Buffalo appears to want to get younger with Elarms-Orr entering his first professional season and Williams, a 2023 third-round pick who is just entering Year 4 in the NFL.
Still, both seasoned pros would be worth considering to help bolster a position that remains a weakness for first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. Buffalo Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen leaves the field after a game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Aside from Williams and Elarms-Orr, the Bills are also equipped with Joe Andreessen, Keonta Jenkins, and Jimmy Ciarlo as members of their inside linebacker room.
, who has shown flashes through three starts since the Bills brought him in as an undrafted free agent on May 11, 2024, Jenkins and Ciarlo have yet to play meaningful snaps at the professional level. Bringing in Thompson, Milano, or, heck, perhaps both, would not be a bad idea for the Bills as they move closer toward a Week 1 matchup with the Houston Texans on Sept. 13. Loading recommendations...
Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsAlex Brasky is editor of Shout! magazine, along with serving as a contributor to Bills - ONSI. He has been on the Bills beat the past nine seasons and recently joined Newsweek to expand his coverage beyond the NFL.
Alex has also previously covered the MLB, Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, PGA Tour and March Madness and earned first place for his spot news coverage in the New York Press Association's Better Newspaper contest.
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