Von Miller Signs with the Washington Commanders

Von Miller, the eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion, has signed a one-year deal with Washington, bringing 129.5 career sacks and a hefty dose of championship DNA to a franchise that was one win away from the Super Bowl last season.

The Reunion Factor

Washington GM Adam Peters was actually in Denver's front office when the Broncos drafted Miller second overall in 2011, making this a reunion 14 years in the making. Peters watched Miller develop from Texas A&M phenom to Defensive Rookie of the Year to Super Bowl 50 MVP, so this signing carries institutional knowledge your typical GM pickup lacks.

The connection runs deeper: Ryan Kerrigan, Miller's draft classmate and now Washington's assistant linebackers coach, provides another familiar face in what could be Miller's final chapter. When you're assembling a championship roster, these relationships matter more than most analytics departments realize.

The Championship Math

Miller's resume reads like a masterclass in peak performance timing. Super Bowl 50 MVP with Denver in 2015. Midseason trade to the Rams in 2021 that resulted in Super Bowl LVI victory. He's proven capable of changing franchises and immediately contributing to title runs — exactly what Washington needs after falling to Philadelphia in last year's NFC Championship.

The Commanders recorded 43 sacks last season (11th in the NFL), but their fourth-quarter pass rush ranked 30th with just five sacks. When you're protecting leads in January, that's the kind of situational weakness that separates contenders from champions. Miller's experience in clutch moments could address what spreadsheets can't measure.

The Buffalo Experience

Miller's Buffalo tenure included a Bills investment of six years and $120 million in 2022, only to release him this March in a cost-cutting move that saved $8 million in cap space. His time there included an ACL tear, a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, and production that declined from eight sacks in 11 games (2022) to zero sacks in 12 games (2023).

The Situational Value Play

At 36, Miller isn't signing to be an every-down player. This is about third-down packages, red zone situations, and playoff moments where experience trumps athleticism. Washington lost Dante Fowler Jr. (their only double-digit sack producer) to Dallas, creating a clear need for proven pass rush production.

The one-year structure protects Washington from long-term risk while giving Miller motivation to prove Buffalo wrong. It's the kind of low-downside, high-upside move that looks shrewd if it works and forgettable if it doesn't — exactly how championship rosters should be constructed around proven core talent.

The Commanders Championship Window

This signing signals Washington's belief that their title window is open now, not later. With Jayden Daniels entering his second season and the NFC appearing vulnerable, adding championship-tested veterans makes strategic sense. Miller joins a growing collection of proven commodities — Zach Ertz, Bobby Wagner, and Austin Ekeler — who understand playoff pressure.