Von Miller Says 2022 Broncos Will be 'Great', Feels 'Bittersweet' he Won't be a Part of It
If there was one thing that kept the Denver Broncos' 2022 offseason from being absolutely perfect, it was that Von Miller didn't re-sign. The Super Bowl 50 MVP almost signed with the Dallas Cowboys before accepting a mega-deal worth up to $120 million from the Buffalo Bills.
All good things come to an end and when the Broncos traded Miller last fall to the Los Angeles Rams, that era came to a grinding halt. Only kicker Brandon McManus remains from Denver's Super Bowl 50 roster.
But Russell Wilson has ushered in a new era of Broncos football and Miller will be watching his old team closely and rooting them on.
“This team is going to be great,” Miller told Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. “It’s bittersweet that I won’t be here to be a part of it, because I’ve still got orange and blue in my heart and it will stay that way forever."
Miller admitted to Newman that he felt conflicted as he hit free agency this past spring. The eight-time Pro Bowler entertained the possibility of returning to the team of which he stands as its all-time leader in sacks but ultimately, he got caught up in the whirlwind, landing in the AFC East.
“Free agency comes, and (I) want to be a Ram, want to be a Buffalo Bill, (I) want to go back to the Denver Broncos, (I) love the Dallas Cowboys,” Miller told the Denver Post. “Everything just happened so fast, (I) go with the Bills… and I start thinking about the type of the wonderful things I can do with this team.”
Miller has new fish to fry in upstate New York but he couldn't be happier for the state of the Broncos. After suffering with the team that drafted him for nearly six seasons, enduring one losing season after another, the two-time World Champion is excited for what's coming next in the Mile High City.
“We’ve been close in the AFC West for a very long time, and now we’ve got Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy’s going to be insane this year, Courtland Sutton’s going to be insane this year. I want those guys to win as many games as possible," Miller told Newman.
As disappointed as many Broncos fans were at Miller landing in Buffalo, having Wilson as the consolation prize is truly a first-world football phenomenon. The Broncos are in good hands, led by a bonafide franchise quarterback.
Miller was rocked by the trade last fall that sent him to L.A., even though he would go on to help the Rams win the Super Bowl.
“It was heartbreaking,” Miller recalled to Newman. “I almost cried (leaving the facility the day of the trade). To go and win a Super Bowl with the Rams, that is the only thing that could’ve helped out with the heartbreak.”
Meanwhile, Miller enters his age-33 season and while he signed with one of the best teams in the AFC, Father Time is going to come calling for him much sooner than he will for Wilson. And, after all, as important as the edge rusher position is, nothing comes close to the quarterback when it comes to constructing a championship roster.
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