Top Free Agent Landing Spots For Von Miller

How much does Von Miller have left in the tank? That will be the question any team interested in the future Hall of Fame pass rusher will have to ask itself before looking into signing the 36-year-old veteran. Obviously Miller isn’t the same force of nature he was back in his prime but can he still be a useful player to a team? 

Miller’s impact last year probably wasn’t worth the nearly $13 million he made from the Bills but he was still able to pull down six sacks. Pro Football Focus credited him 40 total pressures on 249 pass rushing opportunities, which is likely why he had a sterling 85.5 grade and flirted with PFF’s top ten edge rushers. That impact wasn’t evenly spread out throughout the year — Miller raced off to a hot start with 13 pressures and three sacks in the first three games before hitting a wall, partially due to a midseason suspension — but that degree of impact is notable. 

Despite Miller’s age, those flashes should be enough to create a market for his services. There should be mutual interest between Miller and contending teams looking for a “closer” who can help finish out games on defense. Figuring out price will be a process, as Miller isn’t a minimum salary kind of guy even though he does seem to want to keep playing. 

It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miller remain unsigned into August and perhaps even September. Miller’s at the point in his career where avoiding wear and tear is important, and missing training camp for a player like him matters less than it would for others. Waiting allows him more time to gauge which teams are true contenders, and from the other side of things, it gives teams a chance to evaluate younger options on the roster before going outside the building for help. 

Miller, 36, is a former first-round pick of the Broncos back in 2011 out of Texas A&M. After playing out his rookie deal, Denver picked up his fifth-year option and later used their franchise tag on Miller.

The Broncos signed Miller to a six-year, $114 million extension in 2016 with $70 million guaranteed. He made $18 million in 2020 with $6 million fully guaranteed and counted $25.625 million against the cap.

Denver officially picked up Miller’s option in 2021 at a figure of $18 million. However, the Broncos traded Miller to the Rams at the deadline for second and third-round picks while also eating most of his remaining salary. Miller then ended up winning the Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams.

Miller went on to sign a six-year, $120 million deal with the Buffalo Bills as an unrestricted free agent in 2022. He agreed to a pay cut to remain with the Bills in 2024. 

However, the team released him the following season. 

In 2024, Miller appeared in 13 games for the Bills and recorded 17 total tackles and six sacks.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. 

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles GM Howie Roseman is always always always on the lookout for pass rushers. It’s a philosophy that clearly has served the team well, and as the Eagles come off of last year’s Super Bowl win, they’ll be on the lookout for how to retool the room. Philadelphia had to replace Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat after losing the two former key contributors to retirement and free agency respectively. They’ll be counting on Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt to step into bigger roles and made some dart throws in free agency with Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche. Still, overall the room looks worse than last year. 

This is where Miller could come in. If the Eagles get through camp and realize that they need more juice in the room, Miller is a strong potential fit. He played for DC Vic Fangio in Denver and knows the defense well. Philadelphia should also remain a quality contender in 2025, giving Miller a chance to chase a ring and augment his Hall of Fame case. 

Denver Broncos

Miller has teased the idea of a reunion with the Broncos after starting his career in Denver and playing a decade for the franchise. It could make some real, practical sense, however. There’s clear appeal for Miller, who still has ties to the area and knows plenty of people affiliated with the team, including DC Vance Joseph who he played for from 2017 to 2018. The Broncos are also viewed as a team on the rise under HC Sean Payton, and it’s easy to see Miller loving the idea of being able to return home and win another Super Bowl a decade after getting his first ring. 

From an on-field perspective, the Broncos have a full room at outside linebacker with Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto as the starters, and youngsters Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson as the reserves. However, Miller’s proven production speaks for itself and would add another layer of depth to the room in case the younger players don’t step up. 

Detroit Lions

Pass rush was one of the top needs for the Lions entering this offseason, yet so far they haven’t been able to materially address it outside of bringing back DE Marcus Davenport. Lions GM Brad Holmes had discussed how hard it is to find quality edge rushers because every team is looking to build waves to send at opponents, especially after the success the Eagles had in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. So far, the value hasn’t lined up in either free agency, the trade market or the draft for Holmes to take a shot. 

He almost has to do something at some point, however. Holmes was with the Rams when they traded for Miller during the season in 2021 as a part of their all-in push that proved successful. Miller isn’t the same player he was then and wouldn’t be a final solution for the Lions at pass rusher, but he would make them better and give them a true complement to put across from Aidan Hutchinson on big-money downs. If Miller is fine playing in Detroit and if the money makes sense for both parties, then both sides could help each other accomplish their goals. 

Washington Commanders

It was remarkable what the Commanders accomplished last year, reaching the NFC Championship in the first year of what was supposed to be a major rebuild for GM Adam Peters, HC Dan Quinn and QB Jayden Daniels. The task ahead of them in Year 2 might be more difficult, though. It’s harder to go from good to great in the NFL than it is to go from bad to good. 

So while their are big hopes for Washington to become a Super Bowl contender sooner rather than later, there are still portions of the roster that don’t look Super Bowl caliber. Edge rusher is one of those. The Commanders lost last year’s sack leader, Dante Fowler, and didn’t really do a whole lot to replace him. Dorance Armstrong returns as one starter, while the rest of the room will be filled out by Deatrich Wise, Clelin Ferrell, Jacob Martin, Jalyn Holmes or others. 

Miller would be a big-time addition in terms of name value to this group, even if realistically he’d only be a 10-15 snap per game player. The Commanders have guys who can play on early downs. They don’t have someone who offenses have to scheme protections around to protect the quarterback on third down with two minutes left. Miller can still be that guy in spurts and his impact to a team like the Commanders that expects to be in big games against big-time quarterbacks would be greater as a result. 

Los Angeles Rams

NFL players love Los Angeles, and Miller is no exception. He raved about the city and the team after his short time there, and had the Bills not been willing to guarantee a precedent-breaking three years on the massive free agent deal they offered him in 2022, it’s likely Miller would have returned to the Rams.

He still could find his way back there, as the Rams look to once again be a contending team in 2025. They’ve overhauled the pass rush since Miller and DT Aaron Donald led them to a ring, landing DE Jared Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, as well as OLB Byron Young and third-round OLB Josaiah Stewart. Miller would add a veteran presence to the room and another weapon to round out what could be a highly effective pass rush.