ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- To describe the biggest of moments -- a return to the field for the first time in 13 months -- Buffalo Bills' outside linebacker Matt Milano's words were few.
"Felt really good," he said.
Milano isn't known for being the most expressive. But that doesn't mean playing football again after a couple of major injuries wasn't significant to the 30-year-old veteran.
"You could see how happy he is and you could feel his energy and how excited he is," middle linebacker Terrel Bernard said. "... Talking to him throughout the week, he's just got another burst of energy. He doesn't show much. ... He's happy, he's happy for sure."
The appreciation was mutual.
As the Bills' defense was announced out of the tunnel ahead of the big Week 13 "Sunday Night Football" game against the San Francisco 49ers, Milano jumped up and down in the tunnel with a brace over his left arm. He ran out of the tunnel, clapping his hands together.
The reaction from the packed and snow-covered stands was effusive, with loud cheers.
This was the first game for Milano since he sustained a season-ending right leg injury on Oct. 8, 2023 during a Week 5 game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tearing a biceps during an August training camp practice this year pushed back his return even more.
"To hear the crowd go crazy when Matt was announced, I think just again, I don't want to speak for the fans, but I think they appreciate how tough he's had to be over the course of the last two years," coach Sean McDermott said. "So, when they were cheering for him, I think that to me, what I heard was they were appreciative of the fact that he had worked himself back to come back on the team."
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips compared it to the reaction when quarterback Josh Allen comes out of the tunnel. Yet as Milano described it, "It was cool. I really wasn't paying attention, to be honest. I was just enjoying the moment."
The return of the 2022 first-team All-Pro was limited and a solid first step, as he had five tackles, including three solos. Milano's return is a positive sign for a team that has already clinched the AFC East. The Bills are only getting stronger as the playoffs approach with a trip to the Los Angeles Rams (4:25 p.m. EST, FOX) this week. For Milano, the next step is continuing a journey back to the field that has required a significant behind-the-scenes effort.
Milano's return was highly anticipated throughout the offseason, but when his torn biceps led to him being put on injured reserve, that anticipation was delayed. In his place, 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Williams started the first 11 games of the season, and played well in his place, leading the team in tackles (97) and second in tackles for loss (five).
Milano has remained with the team for most of this season, even traveling to away games and contributing from the sideline.
McDermott noted how Milano has been around the building more this season than last while injured, which he believes has been positive for Milano mentally, but also good for the team.
"He's helping Dorian, he's helping TB [Terrel Bernard], the linebackers, just get stuff done," nickel corner Taron Johnson said, "... [Milano's] like being a coach out there. So, it's just huge to have a guy like that."
Milano was activated off injured reserve before the Week 11 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and after the team's bye week that followed he was a full participant in practice all week leading up to the game against the 49ers.
Since entering the NFL in 2017, Milano has given up the fewest yards per target, completion percentage and passer rating as the nearest defender in coverage among linebackers. In 2021 and 2022, Milano recorded over 86 tackles in each season and over 12 tackles for loss. He also recorded 11 passes defensed in 2022 and had five interceptions in both 2022 and 2023.
In Sunday's game, he played 37 snaps (77.1%), including only three third-down plays with the plan being to take him off the field on third down. Doing so is not unusual for the team's dime package coming on the field in that scenario.
"First off, it was great to have him back out there," defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said. "Second off, I would say that there's some rust we've got to knock off. There's some things we got to clean up, but that's to be expected. He hasn't played football, in a game, in a long time and each week he'll get better and better."
For Bernard, playing alongside Milano was like having "another part of my brain out on the field," an on-field relationship that will only grow -- the pair played in five games together last season as starters.
"We see the game in the same way, situationally, idea of what's coming before it comes and then our calls communicating what's going to happen before it happens," Bernard said. "I think he does a great job of understanding when a certain motion is going to come, what that'll change for both of us, and kind of playing the game before it happens, and so when you get a guy out there like that, that's talking to me like that, it helps me. It helps everybody on the defense."
Milano, a 2017 fifth-round draft pick, is one of three players to have been on the team every year since McDermott took over as head coach. Milano's experience, plus Micah Hyde re-signed to the practice squad after contemplating retirement this week, marks veteran returns to the defense as the team embarks on the last month of the regular season.
"[Milano's] such a leader, albeit a little bit on the quieter side. He's a great player," McDermott said. "So, you are able to lead by example and influence people in the right ways for us. And that's been great to see and great to have. And now just super happy and excited for him to get back out there and start to get in the flow again of the game of football.