Legendary Pass Rusher Von Miller Was Suspended From the NFL for Four Games

Former Denver Broncos all-pro linebacker Von Miller, who now plays for the Buffalo Bills, has been suspended from the NFL for four games. Following the news of his suspension, many wanted to know more about what the reason for it was, and whether it was related to something that happened on the field or off it.

According to ESPN, the suspension is related to events that occurred off the field almost a year ago. Here's what we know about why he was suspended.

Miller was suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The violation is related to a domestic incident in Dallas that occurred in November of 2023 between Miller and his then-pregnant girlfriend. Miller was arrested following an alleged assault, but authorities elected not to press charges, and Miller has vehemently denied any allegations of wrongdoing.

ESPN obtained an affidavit detailing the incident. "The allegations against Miller include him putting a hand, and later both hands, on the woman's neck for about three to five seconds, pulling her hair, and trying to shove her while she was attempting to gather her things and leave after he told her to get out of the apartment where they both lived," ESPN wrote.

The NFL chose to suspend Miller even though no criminal charges had been filed in the case.

The NFL and its players have long had a checkered history with domestic violence, and the league has a prerogative that allows it to suspend players even if they have not been charged or convicted, as long as it finds merit in the allegation while conducting its own investigation.

Miller, a former Super Bowl MVP, has been suspended from the league before. In 2013, he was suspended for six weeks for violating the substance abuse policy.

After returning from that suspension, Miller tore his ACL.

Miller has also faced past allegations of domestic violence. In 2021, he was the subject of a criminal investigation related to alleged domestic assault on a former fiancee.

Given that track record, it makes sense that Miller faced a suspension even though he was not charged or found guilty in a criminal proceeding.

There are plenty of both current and former players in the NFL who have been credibly accused of domestic assault, and who have nonetheless continued to have success on the field. An incident involving Ravens player Ray Rice was the first to spark a change, but since then, the question of the NFL's policy about domestic assault has continued to be a question.

Miller's suspension is likely meant to prove that they take the issue seriously, although many will wonder whether suspending an aging role-player for four games is a severe enough punishment. Miller will be eligible to return for the October 28th game the Bills have against the Seahawks, but it's easy to wonder whether he would have faced even this much punishment if he was still in his prime.