Von Miller Explains What Conversations He's Had With Broncos

Von Miller was in Commerce City on Wednesday, pushing his phenomenal Von's Vision charity, which dates all the way back to his early days with the Denver Broncos.

These days, any time a microphone is put in front of Miller, he takes the opportunity to lobby the Broncos about a return, and that was especially true with several local reporters, like The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel, in attendance to ask him about it.

First thing's first, Miller said that he has continued to "lobby" the Broncos privately as much as he has publicly.

“I lobby. I do lobby,” Miller said via Gabriel. “I lobby publicly, I lobby privately. I do lobby. I think there’s no question the type of environment I bring to a locker room and to a team. I don’t like to pat myself on the back, but at 37 years old, I can still roll out of bed and rush the quarterback. I’m still a great guy in the locker room, I bring great energy, and I’m going to make sure everybody is ready to go.”

Von Still Has It

Even at his age, Miller can still get after the quarterback, and the proof is in the pudding. Last year, he totaled nine sacks with the Washington Commanders, despite only starting three games.

Miller stayed healthy and available for all 17 games, which is huge for a 37-year-old veteran. In terms of offers and interest, the phone hasn't exactly been ringing off the hook, but the former Super Bowl 50 MVP is keeping the lines of communication open with the Broncos' shot-callers: head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton.

Miller even credited Paton in his quest to become an NFL general manager after his playing days are in the books. Plus, after playing for Payton's flag football team this summer against the U.S. national team, the veteran pass rusher would love for it to continue as the real thing in the Orange and Blue.

"It's been quiet, but I continue to talk to all of those guys. Like I said before, I want to be a GM. George Paton has been huge with that," Miller said. "Sean Payton was my coach for the flag football game, so I would love for him to coach me, like, on the football field, but those events are beyond my efforts. Everybody knows I want to be a Denver Bronco; it just depends on how it all shakes out."

Examining the Fit

Bo Nix and Von Miller — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes the ball under pressure from Washington Commanders linebacker Von Miller (24). | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It's hard to see an obvious spot where Miller could fit in. He acknowledged that he wouldn't be looking to take a starting job, and stipulated that he wouldn't play special teams, but between his still-considerable pass-rushing prowess and the coach-on-the-field leadership he could offer, it's becoming increasingly difficult for the Broncos to ignore his pleas.

"Obviously, I wouldn't start. Obviously, I wouldn't play special teams, but I will say, the type of room that we would have, the outside linebackers, me, Nik Bonitto, we would be a force," Miller said. "Whatever coaching that we have going on, I would just contribute to that. The defense we would have."

For what it's worth, Bonitto sounds more than receptive to the idea of Miller coming back to Denver. The two pass rushers are friends, even if they're not super close.

V.P. of Super Bowl 50 Vibes

Miller wants to help reconjure the Super Bowl 50 era. As the MVP of that game, and the man who later became the face of the franchise for five-plus years after Peyton Manning retired, if anyone could do it, it would be Miller.

"I would love to bring back those Super Bowl 50 vibes. I would love to assist and be a vice president to Bo Nix, Courtland Sutton," Miller said. "I've been the guy, and also, I've been the vice president, too. I would love to contribute to us getting back to the glory land and holding up that trophy and the confetti falling. For me, my whole entire life, I've helped out guys to be the best of themselves, and I'd love to do that back here with the Denver Broncos."

And thus ends Miller's latest pitch to the Broncos' leadership. Time will tell whether Paton and Payton actually take heed and seriously consider Miller, but in the meantime, the veteran pass rusher plans on playing his 16th NFL season. And along the way, he also wants to put Von's Vision in the all-time pantheon of Denver sports charities.

"Even if it doesn't [work out], I would love to continue to push Von's Vision to be the greatest charity this community has ever seen," Miller said. "If there was a Hall of Fame for the Denver community, I would love to be up there with John Lynch's charity, John Elway, all of those guys. I would love to continue to push Von's Vision to be as best as it possibly can."

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