Von Miller is a free agent again, and the Denver Broncos appear to have no obvious spot for him because he is not interested in playing special teams at this stage of his career.
That reality sits awkwardly beside the numbers. Miller totaled nine sacks last season in Washington at age 36 and carries 138.5 career sacks. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Broncos after being drafted second overall in 2011, was traded by general manager George Paton to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, and won another Super Bowl with the Rams that same year.
Those facts give the question weight: this is not a washed-up name chasing nostalgia. Miller was the face of the Broncos for much of his early career, and even at 36 he produced a team-high pass-rush total in 2025 for Washington. He is also currently a free agent, which leaves the door open to a reunion that would be sentimental and, at least on paper, useful.
But context flips the calculus. The Broncos are coming off a loss in the AFC championship game and have rebuilt around a new franchise quarterback, Bo Nix. Their rush linebacker room already includes Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, with Dondrea Tillman, Que Robinson and Jonah Elliss likely to fill out depth behind them. Those younger players represent the structure Denver has assembled in pursuit of sustained contention.
And then there is the practical sticking point the team has made clear: Miller does not want to play special teams. That is the main reason Denver does not have an obvious spot for him. Teams rarely add 36-year-old edge rushers who insist on a purely situational role without accepting some special-teams work, and Denver’s current depth means a Miller signing would have to displace someone or require the Broncos to carry a niche veteran on the active roster.
The personal side complicates roster math. Miller has publicly expressed a desire to return to the Broncos, a sentiment echoed by teammates and observers. Bonitto recently praised the Super Bowl 50 MVP, saying fans and players would relish a return to the Mile High City. That praise places pressure on the front office: the locker room and the fan base see Miller as part of the Broncos’ story, even if the roster picture makes a reunion difficult.
The tension is obvious. On one hand, Miller’s pedigree — 11 seasons in Denver, a Super Bowl 50 backstory, another ring in 2021, and a productive nine-sack season in Washington — would make him a high-profile, low-risk short-term boost for a team that just came within one game of the Super Bowl. On the other, the Broncos have younger, cheaper, and already-integrated edge options who play the full complement of snaps a modern roster requires, including special teams.
That gap between desire and logistics is the story’s hinge. If Denver values continuity and roster flexibility above nostalgia, Miller’s unwillingness to play special teams will keep the sides apart. If the team decides pedigree and pass-rush upside matter more than role structure, the Broncos could create room for a veteran whose presence would be a clear signal to fans and players alike.
The single question now is whether the Broncos will prioritize what Miller represents over the roster model that got them to the AFC championship: will they make an exception for a returning icon who refuses special teams duty, or will they stick with the younger core that has been built to play every down?
