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John Keim
The Washington Commanders are signing veteran defensive finish Von Miller, a transfer designed to bolster their cross rush and improve their means to shut out video games on protection.
Miller, who posted two footage of himself in a Washington jersey on his Instagram account Wednesday night time, has recorded 129.5 profession sacks to rank sixteenth on the all-time checklist. Miller, who nonetheless should cross his bodily, will signal a one-year deal, a supply instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Miller, 36, performed the previous three seasons with the Buffalo Payments, recording 14 sacks — eight in his first season and 6 final 12 months. Washington hopes he can do what he did for the Los Angeles Rams within the 2021 season: function a ultimate piece in a Tremendous Bowl title run. The Rams acquired him in a midseason commerce, and he then posted 5 sacks in eight regular-season video games and 4 extra within the playoffs en path to a Tremendous Bowl win.
In his first 10 years, with the Denver Broncos, Miller had 110.5 sacks and made seven All-Professional groups, together with three first groups, and was named to the Professional Bowl eight instances — the final of which occurred after the 2019 season. He was the MVP of Tremendous Bowl 50.
Washington common supervisor Adam Peters was with Denver when the Broncos chosen Miller within the first spherical of the 2011 draft. Peters left after the 2016 season to hitch the San Francisco 49ers.
The Commanders’ cross rush recorded 43 sacks, eleventh finest within the NFL final season. Nonetheless, there have been holes of their cross rush: Within the four-man rush, Washington ranked twenty sixth with 22 sacks; and within the fourth quarter, the Commanders have been thirtieth with 5 sacks.
That is partly why quarterbacks posted a fourth-quarter QBR of 74.8 in opposition to Washington, fourth highest within the league.
The Commanders had checked out a number of ends in free company, together with DeMarcus Lawrence and Joey Bosa. They’d checked out cross rushers within the early rounds of the draft however opted to take offensive sort out Josh Conerly Jr. within the first spherical and nook Trey Amos within the second.
Washington signed quite a few veteran linemen in free company, together with ends Deatrich Smart Jr. and Jacob Martin. It additionally has linebacker Frankie Luvu, who was named second-team All-Professional after ending with a career-best eight sacks final season.
The Payments launched Miller on March 9, releasing up $8.4 million in wage cap area. Miller had been set to account for the second-most cap area ($23.9 million) on the roster behind solely quarterback Josh Allen.
Miller’s time with the Payments was something however clean. He signed a six-year deal price $120 million within the 2022 offseason. After begin that included eight sacks in 11 video games, he suffered a serious proper ACL harm on Nov. 24, 2022. Miller stated throughout coaching camp in 2024 that he “most likely shouldn’t have performed” in 2023 due to the harm. He completed the 2023 season enjoying in 12 video games and recording zero sacks and three tackles.
Miller was then suspended for 4 video games (Weeks 5-8) in 2024 for violating the NFL’s private conduct coverage, stemming from allegations that he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend in suburban Dallas through the Payments’ bye week in 2023. He turned himself in to the police and shortly after was launched on bond. The case was later closed, and fees have been by no means filed. The NFL performed a separate investigation.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg contributed to this report.
