Von Miller was ready to join Cowboys before big payday with Bills

Von Miller was ready to join Cowboys before big payday with Bills

If it wasn’t for the considerable monetary upgrade from the Buffalo Bills for 33-year-old outside linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller, he would’ve likely been suiting up for his hometown team, America’s Team — the Dallas Cowboys — entering 2022.

Miller told The Athletic‘s Dan Pompei that he was “ready” to go to Dallas after they reportedly offered him five-years, $70 million with two guaranteed years, but the money ultimately wasn’t enough to sway him from the Bills’ six-year offer.

“I told them I was ready to come to the Cowboys,” Miller said,“I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it’s Dallas. But I wouldn’t take that much less.”

The aforementioned offer was similar to the one that EDGE rusher Randy Gregory agreed to with the Denver Broncos after backing out of the same deal from the Cowboys.

Von Miller signed with the Bills in March on a six-year, $120 million deal, first reported by NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport. According to Spotrac, $51.4 million of the $120 million is guaranteed over the first three seasons: $45 million is guaranteed at signing, while the remaining $6.4 million is from his 2024 salary that becomes fully guaranteed in March 2024.

It’s not surprising that Miller would’ve taken less to join his hometown team. Miller, who was born and played high school football for DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas (less than 25 miles from Dallas) has been pretty open about his interest in joining the Cowboys in the past.

It was reported in June by Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that Von Miller called former Cowboys EDGE rusher DeMarcus Ware about potentially joining Dallas earlier in the offseason. Here’s what Ware said:

“I remember when Von called me he said ‘Hey is Dallas interested? I’m a free agent.’” Ware said. “And I said, ‘What?! You’re a free agent, what do you mean you’re a free agent? I thought you had one more year?’ He was like, ‘No I’m done [with the Rams], bro.’ 

“He said ‘Call Jerry [Jones] and them and see what they want to do.’ I said ‘Are you trying to get them to empty the bank account? What you trying to do?’”

Should Miller make a significant contribution and not be let go as a “cap casualty” within three years in Buffalo, it’s unlikely he will dawn the Navy Blue and Silver that is the Dallas Cowboys anytime in the near future — if ever. He’s been open about wanting to play out the entire contract.

“I’m trying to play the whole thing out. Tom Brady’s done it, Bruce Smith has done it. All the guys that I look up to when it comes to longevity in careers,” he told Mark Guaghan of The Buffalo News. “So I just take it one day at a time, and I’m just gonna take whatever God gives me. My intention is to play the whole thing out. I’m a real sicko when you get to know me. My mindset is different.”

Find the full quote here.

Whether he actually will is an entirely different topic of conversation. The eight-time pro-bowler and three-time All-Pro honoree has totaled 115.5 career sacks with 154 tackles-for-loss in his 10-year career. After getting traded to the eventual-Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the middle of last season, Miller totaled 31 tackles — 23 solo — 5.0 sacks and 12 tackles-for-loss in eight games, as well as 14 tackles, 4.0 sacks and 6 tackles-for-loss in the Rams’ playoff run.

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