Some were surprised back in March when the Broncos elected to exercise edge rusher Von Miller‘s option for 2021, which kept him in the fold on an $18 million salary.
But even after missing the entire 2020 season with an ankle injury, Denver appears confident Miller can return to being one of the league’s best pass rushers.
Broncos General Manager George Paton recently quipped that Miller doesn’t look his age when on the field. Miller turned 32 in March, but said in an interview with the team website that he doesn’t feel that old either.
“And when I’m out here on the football field, I definitely don’t look 32 — in my opinion,” Miller said. “And I just want to just keep going, just take whatever God will give me. I want to play five to seven more [years] — maybe more, maybe less, whatever God will give me I’m at peace with. Eleven years is just a blessing. The average is three-and-a-half, so to make it to 11, go to two Super Bowls and do all the crazy stuff that we did, I’m really at peace with it.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m content. I want to break records and I want to go 20 years and I want to play like DeMarcus [Ware] and Julius Peppers and all these guys. But I’m at peace, and I think it’s just a different spirit that I have coming into this season.”
Miller recorded double-digit sacks every year from 2014-2018. But in 2019, he had only 8.0 sacks in 15 games. He also recorded 10 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits that year.
If Miller is back to form, he’s clearly one of the league’s biggest threats on the edge. But even if he’s feeling young and spry now, that could change once the season begins.