Rams' Von Miller in 'Football Heaven' at Super Bowl; Next Dream: Sign With Hometown Dallas Cowboys?
“This,” Von Miller is telling his Los Angeles Rams teammates this week at the Super Bowl,” “is football heaven.”
And after the Texas A&M product is finished, he hopes, winning his second championship game - he was the MVP in Super Bowl Lfor the Denver Broncos six seasons ago, recording 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in a 24-10 victory over Carolina - could his next “football heaven” be back home in Texas?
The former A&M linebacker is a DeSoto native who still has deep ties in DFW, and in fact, every time he is rumored to be on the move, the Cowboys are included in the rumor.
The bad news to Cowboys fans who'd like to see this connection: The last time that happened, in November when Miller was dealt from the Broncos to the Rams, the price to get the eight-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker was a second- and third-round picks in the 2022 Draft.
And contrary to some reports, as first noted by CowboysSI.com, the Cowboys never even came close to considering that.
But how about this offseason, when Miller (who will be 33 in March) is a free agent, and might want one last try at a different "football heaven''?
The first obstacle will be the Rams themselves, who have whispered about trying to re-sign him. The next obstacle, of course, will be the money. Spotrac suggests he's a $10 million APY in 2023.
But as the Cowboys wrestle with what to do with free agent Randy Gregory and pricy DeMarcus Lawrence, maybe this time around Dallas should consider a visit before issuing its customary "big-money'' "no.''
The Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will kick off Sunday at 5:30 p.m CT on NBC in a Super Bowl that could put Miller at center stage, at least in part because he understands better than most the magnitude of what's about to unfold.
“I just try to bring great energy every single day,” Miller said. “I just try to sense when guys are not feeling it and try to uplift the guys. I'm a fun guy. I like to have positive energy. I like to have a good time and I like to be around people in the locker room. I'm an entertainer.”
The Rams were banking on a Super Bowl appearance this year, virtually sacrificing the near-future for the now. They traded those valuable draft picks to acquire Miller, did the same with quarterback Matthew Stafford, and others, and even took a chance on signing wide receiver Odell Beckham, a gamble that has paid off.
And Von Miller, the second player taken in the 2011 NFL Draft who will eventually see "football heaven'' in Canton, is a driving force.
“What I've been trying to portray to the guys is we got 60 minutes and then it's 'football heaven',” Miller said. “If we can pull this thing off and get the win, it's 'football heaven,' fellas.''
Miller's presence gives North Texans something to root for. His impending free agency might do the same for Cowboys Nation.
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