Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue shares a mutual respect with fellow pass rushing artist Von Miller

The two players have had a solid relationship dating back to 2017.

Yannick Ngakoue of the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) and Von Miller of the Denver Broncos (0-3) have been two of the NFL's top pass rushers since they each entered the league. Because of their individual prowess, the two have also built a strong mutual respect for each other.

"That is my big brother. That is a guy who I have been watching film on since before I met him, in college (at Maryland)," Ngakoue said on Thursday.

Ngakoue said he and Miller have been friends since the 2017 Pro Bowl, when Ngakoue found himself among other the NFL's elite in only his second season. In 2017, Ngakoue was one of the top performers on an elite Jaguars defense, notching 12 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. This production caught the eye of other elite pass rushers.

"We got to meet in 2017 when I made the Pro Bowl and he came up to me and we both came up to each other and admired each other's game, and we got to connect from there. Ever since then, we just kept in touch," Ngakoue said.

Ngakoue said he and Miller have shared pass rushing tips throughout the years and in the past few years, they have shared those same tips with the other elite pass rushers throughout the NFL. Others such as Calais Campbell, Aaron Donald and Frank Clark join in on the pass rushing tidbits, too.

"He has a little pass rush summit we go to at the end of the year every year, so we just talk about pass rushing. All the top guys from the league come around and we just talk about rushing the passer," Ngakoue said. 

When Ngakoue and Miller step onto the field on Sunday, they will be doing it as opponents, each of which whose aim is to terrorize the other player's offense. But even while their teams battle between the white lines at Mile High, they will still be admiring what the other is able to do.

"That is my big bruh. At the end of the day, we both respect each other's game."