“I’m excited for the future and ready to get back to work” (see full story).
Advertisement
If Miller hadn’t agreed to his new $114.5 million contract, he would have sat out the 2016 season as the first player to do so since the Chief’s Dan Williams did in 1998, long before GM’s had to worry about disgruntled players making statements on Instagram.
GM John Elway’s offer now surpasses the $63m in guarantees that Philadelphia’s Fletcher Cox received last month. It is also the richest contract at any position other than quarterback.
Since entering the National Football League in 2011, only one player has forced more fumbles in the regular season and playoffs than Miller (18).
The deal comes after months of ugly headlines where it looked as though the two sides would never come to an agreement. The 2011 first-round draft pick said he was frustrated at not receiving a new deal from the Jets, who instead placed the franchise tag on him. Miller was yet to comment on the offer. The Broncos had no intention of trading Miller, who is a cornerstone player in the team’s defense.
The initial numbers of Miller’s guaranteed money in his deal were $39.8 million through two years to $61 million over three years and then to the record-breaking (for a non-quarterback) $70 million over four years.
Miller and the Broncos had been staring at a 4 p.m. ET deadline to strike a deal. But with a finger pointed at the market, Miller and his representatives flagged Cox’s six-year, $102.6 million deal with the Eagles.
Next March, another $19 million in 2018 compensation becomes fully guaranteed. Moreover, history would suggest that paying a defensive player or non-quarterback close to $20 million per year doesn’t equate to success in the NFL.
Such a short-team deal is problematic if Miller gets injured and can’t play during the next season because he won’t have a deal in place and won’t get paid. In the playoffs, Miller totaled five sacks, including 2.5 in the Super Bowl and caused 3 turnovers. Clearly, franchise tags are great for fans and not for players.
The deal follows months of negotiations between Miller’s camp and the team.
“I know that the window for playing is closing”. Elway has called Miller a rare player that the team wanted to keep on the roster. His value sky-rocketed after a stellar 2015 postseason in which he recorded five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception during Denver’s Super Bowl run.
Von Miller and the Denver Broncos have agreed to a new contract.
Advertisement
With 60 sacks in 72 regular-season games, Miller ranks third in league history in sacks per game (0.83).
