Von Miller keeps making the case for a Denver reunion, and the Broncos may be at the point where it actually makes sense.
The 37-year-old has been pushing the idea since the Washington Commanders’ 2025 season ended, using his podcast to say he wants back in Denver. At first, that felt like more nostalgia than a real roster possibility. The Broncos were stacked at outside linebacker, with Nik Bonitto at the top, Jonathon Cooper entrenched as a veteran starter, and a deep group of edge rushers behind them.
That picture looks a lot different now.
Cooper was arrested twice in a span of one week last month and charged with domestic violence and criminal mischief. Denver initially took a cautious stance after the first arrest, but the tone changed after the second. The Broncos then excused him from mandatory minicamp, signaling clear distance while his legal situation plays out.
Even if Cooper ultimately pleads guilty, is convicted, or is exonerated, NFL discipline is expected under the Personal Conduct Policy. The second arrest makes a suspension feel all but inevitable, which means Denver has to plan for life without him.
That’s where Miller comes back into focus.
A return would carry some risk for a player entering his 16th NFL season, but Miller and the Broncos have a history of making the unlikely work. He delivered eight Pro Bowl selections and seven All-Pro honors in Denver, helped power five straight division titles, and was the face of the pass rush during the Super Bowl 50 run.
He’s also still producing. Last season with Washington, Miller posted nine sacks and 36 quarterback pressures, even though he started only three games.
And compared with what Cooper gave Denver down the stretch in 2025, Miller wouldn’t necessarily be a downgrade. Cooper managed just one sack over the Broncos’ final eight games, and his run defense slipped as well, especially with edge discipline.
There are younger options in the mix, but each comes with a catch. Jonah Elliss, a 2024 third-round pick entering Year 3, could step into a bigger role, though injuries limited him to 13 games last season.
Dondrea Tillman is next up after producing nine sacks over the past two years as a rotational player. Que Robinson, a 2025 fourth-round pick, had a strong 2026 offseason.
Drew Sanders is still hanging around as another former third-round pick, and the Broncos are giving him one more shot in a contract year after injuries wiped out his second and third seasons.
The common thread with Elliss, Tillman, Robinson, and Sanders is that they can help on special teams. Miller can’t. At this stage, he’s not coming in to chase third-phase work, and he never has played special teams.
That’s why a Miller move would only really make sense if Denver planned to start him opposite Bonitto. And that brings the Cooper situation back to the center of the conversation. If the Broncos release him, the path gets even clearer.
That could happen as training camp gets closer, with or without Miller in the picture. From a public-relations standpoint, the allegations alone may be more than Denver wants to carry. And from a football standpoint, the Broncos don’t need an off-field distraction if they’re serious about contending for a title.
So the fit is there if the price is right and the Broncos are willing to make the move. A Miller return wouldn’t block the young pass rushers so much as spare them from being rushed into bigger roles too soon. It would give Denver a proven edge presence, steady the defense, and maybe add a little more Mile High Magic to a team trying to chase a fourth Lombardi Trophy.
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There were reasons Denver stayed relatively quiet, including a desire to protect future compensatory draft value, but that approach also left the team leaning on young options who need time to develop. Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley were brought in as late-round rookies, yet neither is ready to solve the kind of blocking issues that can shape what the Broncos can and cannot do on offense. For a team that wants to be sturdier and more reliable, tight end remains one of the few places where the offseason still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]