Von Miller is not ready to hang it up, and he is not being subtle about where he wants to play next.
The 37-year-old edge rusher posted a photoshopped image of himself in a No. 24 Dallas Cowboys jersey to his Instagram Story on Wednesday. That is not a random post from a bored free agent. That is a pitch to Jerry Jones from a player who has been telling anyone who will listen that Dallas is his preferred landing spot.
Miller grew up in DeSoto, Texas. He played college ball at Texas A&M. He has said publicly that playing for the Cowboys would mean his mom and dad could stop flying to every game.
“I grew up here in Dallas,” Miller told R.J. Ochoa of SB Nation. “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Dallas Cowboys. If I played for the Dallas Cowboys this year, I would only have to drive 20 minutes to work.”
The eight-time Pro Bowler is not the player he was five years ago. He is a rotational pass rusher at this point in his career, not a game-wrecking cornerstone. But he still put up nine sacks in 17 games with the Washington Commanders last season, and Dallas ranked dead last in the league in passing yards allowed at 251.5 per game. Miller can still play.
The Cowboys have already committed big money to Micah Parsons and the offensive line. Adding a low-cost veteran with a chip on his shoulder and a two-time Super Bowl ring to the pass rush is exactly the kind of move that a smart contender makes in July. The upside is real. The downside is a preseason release with almost no dead cap.
The problem is Jerry Jones has a way of complicating deals that should be simple. Miller is going to want a modest guarantee, per-game roster bonuses, and probably a sack incentive package. That is standard fare for a player at this stage. Dallas has to actually pull the trigger.
If they do, Miller pairs with Parsons and DeMarvion Overshown to give the Cowboys a much deeper front. If they do not, some other contender is going to give Miller a phone call. The Chiefs, Ravens, and Buffalo Bills have all been mentioned as potential fits.
For Cowboys fans, the Miller push is the kind of headline-grabbing story that fits Jerry Jones’ PR playbook. Whether it turns into an actual signing is another matter. Jones loves a splashy summer signing when the team needs a boost. He also loves to negotiate against himself in July and lose the player entirely.
Miller has done just about everything he can short of showing up at The Star with a duffel bag. The next move is on Dallas. If they do not sign him, they are going to be watching him get to Dak Prescott or Trevor Lawrence twice a year for whoever does.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
