Renck: Von Miller will always be a Bronco, even if playing for Denver again unlikely
ASHBURN VA Von Miller knew the answer But he could not resist asking the question A free agent last summer training camp approaching Miller had not decided on a new unit Garett Bolles in attendance at a Von s Vision event in Colorado urged his good friend to call the Broncos Von had not played in Denver since Russell Wilson had him on a group text with Chandler Jones in asking for him to return Von wisely sidestepped that calamity of a season signing with the Buffalo Bills as Denver added Randy Gregory Three years later there was a new coach and new quarterback Maybe the remodeling needed an old antique to complete the project Von picked up his iPhone and dialed general manager George Paton When Garett brought it up I was like Come on man You have Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper But I started thinking You have all these people on the gang and there s not a spot for me I know there supposedly won t be but let me check and see I talked with George and I already had an idea how it was going to go And that is exactly what he revealed There was no room for the -year-old Miller not with backups Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman capable of playing special teams The conversation with Paton the man who traded him to the Rams in was productive but not for the reason he expected It was more about me taking the actions to get into a front office He knows I want to be a GM someday a goal inspired and encouraged by Bills GM Brandon Beane Miller notified The Post on Friday I am still happy I did it That was this season What about next year Sitting below the No name plate an ode to Champ Bailey and Kobe Bryant in the Washington Commanders locker room Von flashed that devilish grin the one that appeared so often after his franchise-record sacks with the Broncos Truth be informed he would love to return to the Commanders Would like a rain check after a lost season because of a battery of injuries to stars including quarterback Jayden Daniels Daniels is why Von chose Washington over the Seahawks Nothing against Sam Darnold but it was Jayden Daniels In my opinion it was the best situation Miller reported They were coming off the NFC Championship Contest And coach Dan Quinn had a plan for me as a veteran player He gets it Of unit nothing has worked out save for Von delivering as an effective situational rusher He has five sacks in games He wants a third Super Bowl ring But he is also motivated to collect eight more sacks and have his sons Valor and Accomplishment gain a better understanding of what their dad does for a living That is why he fully intends to play next season Get that number and he will reach for his career ranking sixth all-time Myles Garrett is like sacks behind me and he came into the league six years after me I don t want to make the top and get knocked out Miller stated I want to stay there for or years So yeah I definitely want to play another year and who knows after that With Washington hosting the Broncos on Sunday night Miller cannot avoid becoming nostalgic He never required to leave but knew his time was up after he called a captains meeting with coach Vic Fangio and Paton to discuss turning the season around and aiming for a division title It fell on deaf ears What I realized later is that we were were so far removed from that That s all I knew from playing with Peyton Manning But we had guys who couldn t relate It s hard to get somebody to miss something they never had Miller declared I was talking about winning a Super Bowl and they were like What We are try to win a single challenge A meager weeks later Von was shipped out He was surprised the news bringing him to tears He still wonders if he would have played his entire career in Denver if the Broncos had drafted someone like Bo Nix We never had a quarterback for a lot of years No one special or elite Miller commented And Bo fell in their lap And you ve got him with one of the greatest minds in NFL history Sean Payton And they have Courtland Sutton Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims and that offensive line is way better than what we had in This year s company is special And if Bo Nix continues to take those leaps Miller catches himself There he goes again He cannot help it When it comes to the Broncos Von is a fan He spent a decade in Denver morphing into a future Hall of Famer He made mistakes grew up before our eyes became a father his third child a daughter named Virtue is due in January a leader and a champion Related Articles Renck Barb Paton s Holiday Huddle brightens season for selfless kids from Boys Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Renck CSU shows it is serious about football with home-run hire of Jim Mora Renck vs Keeler Projections pin Broncos for victories Taking the over or under Renck Bo Nix-Sean Payton connection will answer biggest question Are Broncos a Super Bowl crew Renck File Michael Porter Jr deal a bust for Nuggets Not yet Deal is about Cam Johnson and Aaron Gordon I constantly reflect back on those times The orange and blue that s my squad that s my city Broncos Country those are my fans I think they are the main reason I miss it Miller reported Anytime I post something on Instagram they comment Come back to Denver we love They are percent of why I still love the Denver Broncos and why I will unfailingly root for them Von will perpetually be a Bronco whether he plays for the group or not He can invariably sign a one-day contract and retire in Denver before heading to Canton Honestly it is amazing Von is still playing His legacy is secure But this season explains it There is a fountain pen Von sits in the front of meetings I am that guy now taking down every word He wants to be challenged even though the easiest thing would be to tip his helmet and walk off into a Broncos orange-colored sunset I take more notes now than I ever did I date it put a timestamp on it Man I love everything about the sport the locker room the training room the weight room the film room Miller disclosed I have been playing football for years This is my life If I don t have to leave I am not going to
