Bills training camp 2025 linebacker preview: A familiar group, but questions remain

New York Times

11-07-2025

For the majority of the time the Bills have employed Sean McDermott as the head coach and Brandon Beane as the general manager, the team has operated with the linebacker position being one of its strengths. That mostly revolved around three players in Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard.
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Bernard took over for Edmunds after the latter left as a free agent in 2023. However, the 2025 season could offer some intrigue as to what the position's future holds if things don't go according to plan.
Even with a familiar group to 2024, it remains to be seen how things evolve based on the performances of a handful of linebackers. Here is a detailed outlook for when the Bills return for training camp in late July.
Even with a few questions about the position, the linebacker position went almost completely untouched from how the team left it in 2024. Last year, they carried six linebackers when all were healthy, and all six are still under contract for the 2025 season. Their most significant changes had to do with the contract status of their starting duo, Bernard and Milano. They identified Bernard as a core starter moving forward and signed him to a contract extension through the 2029 season. Milano's contract change was significant in the opposite way. The longtime Bills starter agreed to a pay cut in 2025 and, in the same agreement, erased the final year of his contract, which scheduled him to become a free agent in March. Along with those contract changes, Bernard changed his jersey from No. 43 to No. 8. The team added veteran Shaq Thompson in the late spring, who is coming off a torn Achilles early in the 2024 season. Thompson has a long history with McDermott in Carolina, though he's likely arrived for depth purposes only.
Can Matt Milano return to his pre-2023 injury form?
The Bills had to wait a long, long time to get Milano back on the field from when all his injury troubles began. Following a season-ending injury in Week 5 of the 2023 season, Milano had his 2024 comeback deterred, with a multi-month injury suffered just a few weeks ahead of the regular season. Milano didn't return to the field until December, and with that much of a layoff, there was certainly some rust. To expect him to immediately return to his sky-high playing level at the beginning of the 2023 season after two serious injuries and a 420-day layoff between games would be asking too much of the player.
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However, after working through the rust in the first pair of games back, Milano was slowly working his way toward a positive playing level. The key to his game has always been his instincts, and pairing that with his speed turned him into one of the most impactful linebackers in the NFL when he was in his prime. As he was getting re-acclimated to playing, his instincts and recognition skills were as clear as day when you watched him on film. He anticipated plays extremely well, which put him into position to make plays. As he continued to stack games together, the Bills were clearly happy with the weekly progress Milano was making, because they never even considered replacing him in the lineup despite the early rust.
Though there were a couple of things that were different about Milano's game, and each is notable as it pertains to 2025. While the instincts and anticipation were still clear and a strength to the Bills' defense, Milano's speed, whether due to age, injuries or the combination of the two, was not as prominent as it was before his long layoff began. Milano had turned 29 only a few months before the 2023 season, and heading into the upcoming campaign, Milano will be 31. It is worth wondering if his speed from previous years will even have a chance to return this season. And, given his age and how long he's been playing, it's also a consideration that his playing speed could worsen.
The second notable development of Milano's game in 2024 was that his role had changed pretty significantly for most of his games. Before the injuries, Milano was an every-down player and a third-down threat. Upon his return, the Bills made Milano into just an early-down linebacker. Whenever it became an obvious passing situation, they would take Milano off the field and instead substitute a dime backer into the game, usually defensive back Cam Lewis. Milano's initial role was effectively the same role that Dorian Williams had in the lineup until Milano returned to action. That continued, for the most part, up until the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. Even in the losing effort, Milano played easily his highest snap count of the season, nearly 99 percent, as the Bills didn't want to take him off the field. It is worth wondering what the plan might be for Milano in 2025. Will it be the early return approach to keep him fresh, or do they want to return to Milano in his three-down role?
If Milano proves the playing speed is what it was last year, or even better than it was with a healthy offseason to train, it will likely answer all of these questions positively for the Bills. If there's one certainty, it's that Milano's high-level recognition skills aren't going anywhere. However, the Bills have to see how it all comes together this summer with Milano, and should he have lost a step, then it becomes time to wonder if they should pivot. If they are forced to think of alternative options, they have an extremely capable backup in Dorian Williams, who has 13 career starts in the Bills' defensive scheme. Williams may lack recognition skills, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and raw speed.
These are answers they likely won't have until the regular season begins and Milano's playing level is revealed, and until that time, he'll operate as the unquestioned starter. The Bills are certainly hoping they won't need to pivot from Milano, their longtime star, but to not entertain the possibility would be unwise, and considering they adjusted Milano's contract with both a pay cut and removing a year likely means they acknowledge the different possible outcomes.
Baylon Spector vs. Joe Andreessen
Ahead of the spring workouts, it seemed both players were relatively safe to make the team, though that was until the Bills added Thompson. Now, the safest of the two seems like Andreessen, even if he's not the backup middle linebacker as of now, which sets up for an interesting battle this summer. When healthy, Spector spent the entire 2024 season as Bernard's primary backup, though a couple of issues continued to pop up. For one, Spector struggled whenever he had to fill in for Bernard, which opens the door up to a potential competition by itself. But secondly, Spector has struggled with injuries throughout his Bills career. Just last year, he went to Injured Reserve twice during the season, missing Weeks 10 through 14, only coming back for two games and then landing on IR the rest of the way. Andreessen was the star of the summer, not only earning a roster spot as an undrafted rookie, but jumping ahead of both a veteran player (Nicholas Morrow) and a rookie draft pick (Edefuan Ulofoshio). With a full offseason to work, Andreessen, who showed some potential at middle linebacker last preseason, could be primed to steal that backup role from Spector. Andreessen was one of the standouts of the spring practices, too, which will help his chances to earn more reps at the beginning of training camp. And Spector is also in the final year of his rookie deal, so it may be in the Bills' best interest for Andreessen to win that job as he's under their roster control through 2027. If Spector loses that job, there is a chance it could cost him a roster spot, but that may be too big of a leap at this point.
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Edefuan Ulofoshio
The team used a fifth-round draft pick on Ulofoshio in 2024 in the hopes he could have some immediate special teams dividends along with being a dependable depth piece before long, but neither was the case in 2024. Even with his status as a draft pick, Ulofoshio was outplayed by Andreessen throughout training camp and the preseason, which led to the Bills making Andreessen active nearly every week beginning in Week 3. On the other hand, Ulofoshio was a healthy scratch in 13 of the team's first 14 games, and was only active on game day down the stretch due to injuries to Milano in Week 16 and Spector the rest of the season and playoffs. The Bills did keep six linebackers for much of the season in 2024, so that works slightly in Ulofoshio's favor. However, with significant offseason additions at defensive end, defensive tackle and cornerback, the Bills may need to find a spot somewhere to keep everyone they acquired this offseason. That someone could be Ulofoshio, as he might be an easier player to get to the practice squad due to his position, and with the team having felt comfortable keeping only five linebackers on the 53-man roster in previous seasons.
Unlike a few positions, if a backup linebacker makes the 53-man roster, they are expected to play most, if not all, of the core four special teams units. There are even some occasions where starters will play, though that likely won't be the case in 2025 for the Bills, with Bernard and Milano as the clear-cut starters. Williams, Spector and Andreessen are all expected to make the team, and all three have been every-unit players in the past. When Ulofoshio was active, he was also a core-four special teams piece. Thompson will need to prove the most in this area to stick, as well. Regardless of whether they keep five or six, those backup players will be some of the most important to special teams coordinator Chris Tabor's plans in 2025.
Terrel Bernard, Matt Milano, Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector and Joe Andreessen
The top five seem pretty safe as of now, but it all comes down to whether the Bills keep five or six linebackers this year. They simply can't keep everyone, even with the team having two extra roster spots to begin the 2025 season due to the suspensions of Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi. At this point, keeping Ulofoshio would be a luxury after he didn't do enough last year to warrant being active every week. He can certainly play his way onto the team during the summer, but if the Bills need a spot for some additional roster flexibility, as of now, Ulofoshio is likely the best candidate to be left off. Ulofoshio would be a priority practice squad addition if they cut him and he clears waivers. Then it comes down to Thompson and how he looks coming off a serious injury, and he would be battling Spector and Ulofoshio for the fifth and sixth linebacker spots. They might view Thompson as a key veteran member of the practice squad this year.
(Top photo of Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard: Tina MacIntyre-Yee / USA Today)