Von Miller signing with the Dallas Cowboys earlier this month felt like a missed opportunity for the Denver Broncos

And for Miller himself. 

For much of the offseason, it seemed like Miller wanted to return to Denver. He even lobbied coach Sean Payton for a spot on the team. It would’ve been a perfect scenario. Miller returning to the franchise where he spent the first decade of his career. The team he won a Super Bowl with. The team that watched him earn Super Bowl MVP honors.

Instead, Miller is now a Cowboy.

Miller is 37 years old. He played 17 games for the Washington Commanders last season, marking the first time since 2019 that he played a full season. At his age, he’s probably going to miss some games. The absolute perfect situation would have been Miller staying ready on his own early in the season, working out, staying healthy, and then joining the Broncos later this year in November for the stretch run.

He would know he was healthy at that point. He wouldn’t have the bumps and bruises from the early part of the season. He could be a pass-rushing force for three months during what Denver hopes will be a Super Bowl run. And then maybe Miller could go out on top and ride off into the sunset like Peyton Manning did in early 2016.

Von Miller rushed to sign when he didn’t need to

I don’t know why Miller was in such a rush to sign. He’s now with the Cowboys, where he’s going to risk injury early in the season. Who knows if he’ll even make it to the finish line? Who knows if he’ll even be a factor in the playoffs for Dallas (assuming Dallas makes the playoffs)?

I don’t know who’s to blame. Maybe Miller didn’t like the idea of waiting until midseason (though I can’t imagine why). Or maybe Denver just didn’t really want to bring him back. Either way, it would’ve been a brilliant and perfect plan for both sides.