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Alaina GetzenbergESPN
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Payments made a transfer for now and the longer term, locking down All-Professional linebacker Matt Milano with a two-year contract extension by the 2026 season, the workforce introduced Sunday.
The extension is price $14 million per yr, a supply advised ESPN.
The transfer helps Buffalo by creating roughly $6 million in cap house, sources advised ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The workforce entered the weekend greater than $19 million over the 2023 cap. Defensive sort out Tim Settle’s contract was restructured to open up $600,000 in house, ESPN’s Discipline Yates reported, with extra restructuring and strikes to come back.
Milano, 28, was beforehand underneath contract by the 2024 season on a four-year extension price $44 million with $24 million assured that was signed simply earlier than the linebacker may attain free company in 2021.
Accidents had been a earlier concern with Milano, who missed a career-high six video games in 2020. Over the previous two seasons, nevertheless, Milano has missed only one sport annually with smaller accidents.
Chosen by the Payments within the fifth spherical of the 2017 draft out of Boston School, Milano has began 69 video games in his profession and performed in 85.
This newest deal retains Milano with Buffalo for the long run amid uncertainty on the different linebacker place, with Tremaine Edmunds, 24, who has been with the Payments all 5 years of his profession, set to turn out to be a free agent when the league yr begins Wednesday. Edmunds and Milano mixed for a robust linebacker duo on a protection that has led the NFL in yards per play allowed since 2018 (4.98).
Milano’s extension may add doubt as to whether the Payments will be capable to make investments extra money into the linebacker place with Edmunds, however the transfer does create cap house. The Buffalo protection may look fairly totally different in 2023 with security Jordan Poyer, who has been with the workforce since 2017, anticipated to discover free company.
Milano is coming off arguably the strongest season of his profession, with 3 interceptions, 99 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries in 2022. His 99 tackles was the second-most he has had in a season and the three interceptions tied a profession excessive. Milano additionally had a career-high 11 passes defended and led the Payments with 12 tackles for loss.
He was named a first-team All-Professional and chosen to the Professional Bowl Video games for the primary time in his profession.