How long is Von Miller out? Injury timeline, return date, latest updates on Broncos pass rusher

Bad luck for the Broncos to start the 2020 season.

Veteran pass rusher Von Miller underwent successful surgery to repair a tendon in his ankle on Sept. 11, fallout from a freak injury that happened during a Sept. 8 practice. While successful surgery is good news, the bad news is that Miller will be out for "a while," per head coach Vic Fangio.

The outlook on Miller playing in 2020 is bleak, even though there's a chance he could return to the field before the end of the season with the NFL's amended IR rules this upcoming season.

Here's what you need to know about Miller's injury and potential 2020 return:

How long will Von Miller be out?

While the Broncos have yet to give official word on the extent or recovery period of Miller's injury, it's expected that the veteran linebacker is expected to miss the 2020 season with an ankle injury.

On Sept. 8, Miller injured his ankle on the last play of practice. Head coach Vic Fangio admitted that the injury looked fairly innocuous, but it turned out to be much more serious.

"He just rushed around the edge and never hit the ground and [it] never looked bad," Fangio said via Broncos.com. "If you saw the video, you'd think nothing happened, but it did."

On Sept. 11,Fangio revealed that Miller underwent surgery to repair the ankle and the surgery went well, but Miller's timetable for return is still up in the air.

"I was told it went well, and we'll see how it goes," coach Vic Fangio said (via The Detroit News)."They haven't said anything on a timetable based on his surgery, that will depend on the healing."

While Miller has been placed on IR, Fangio has yet to confirm whether or not the star pass rusher's season is over. The current expectation is that Miller will miss the entirety, if not the majority, of the 2020 NFL season. A three-month recovery period could put Miller back on the field in time for the playoffs.

Because of the NFL's amended IR rules in 2020, an IR stint for Miller isn't the definitive end of his season: an unlimited number of players can return from IR this season, as long as they spend at minimum three weeks on the list.

What is Von Miller's injury?

Miller suffered adislocated peroneal tendon in his ankle; this occurs when the peroneal tendons roll out of their groove in the fibula.

There are two tendons that comprisethe peroneal tendon, and both work in tandem to help turn the ankle to the outside. There is typically an initial six-week, no-weight recovery period, while surgery lends itself to a much longer timeline for recovery, up to about three months or longer. Should Miller return to the field, it will likely be just before a potential Denver playoff appearance.

Von Miller injury timeline

Sept. 11 — Miller undergoes successful surgery to repair his peroneal tendon in his ankle. The Broncos place him on IR, but Fangio is non-committal as to whether or not Miller's season is over.

Sept. 9 — Broncos head coach Vic Fangio says he expects Miller to be placed on IR and is likely going to go under the knife.

Sept. 8 — ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Miller sustained an injury on the last play of camp.

Von Miller injury updates

Sept. 11 — Head coach Vic Fangio reveals that Miller underwent successful surgery on his ankle and would be placed on Injured Reserve.

Sept. 8 — Miller injures his ankle on the last play of practice.