DENVER — To the press covering the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, former Broncos edge player Von Miller said much of what he told 9NEWS in an interview at the Centennial Airport in June.
He didn’t use the word “we” when talking about the Denver Broncos, as he did a few months ago to 9NEWS. But he made it abundantly clear the Broncos are not the enemy, even if they will be his opponent Monday night as a Bills’ outside linebacker.
“It’ll be fun. It’ll be different, for sure,’’ Miller said before speaking on a 3 ½-minute answer to begin his presser. “It’ll be fun. It’s not like a revenge game or anything like that. I left on good terms. We won a Super Bowl. I had a great relationship with everybody in that facility. I didn’t have any bad blood with anybody in there.
“For me, I didn’t want to leave. I cried real tears when I left," he said. "To see them again and see that organization winning and starting to do better is a treat for me. It would never be the other way around. Eleven, 10 ½ years there, I’ve had so many different players come through there I’ve had special relationships with. Went to two Super Bowls there. Got to play with Peyton Manning, Champ Bailey, DeMarcus Ware, Tim Tebow. To the young leaders there now, Justin Simmons, Patrick Surtain, Garett Bolles. I remember when these guys got drafted. They were rookies coming in. Rookie minicamp.
“And I really value my relationships with the players. No bad blood at all," Miller said. "I want to be a GM one day in the NFL, and those are some of the thing you understand about the game. I check up on those guys. I feel like I’ve played for (Broncos’ first-year head coach) Sean Payton before as much as I’ve heard about him from the other players. I went to Courtland Sutton’s wedding this offseason in Cabo, and Russ (Wilson) was there and K-Jack (Kareem Jackson) was there. And of course Courtland and Jerry Jeudy and all the guys. I still keep in touch with all the guys. It will never be bad blood on my end.”
He then shifted to his current game, which is not going well. Coming back from the second ACL surgery in his career, Miller has yet to record a sack in five games.
He had droughts before with the Broncos, but had too much talent to stay slumped for long. He may well be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Fame electee five years after he retires, thanks to his 123/5 sacks in his 10 ½ seasons with the Broncos. He added 5.0 more in the 2015-season AFC Championship Game against Tom Brady and the Patriots and Super Bowl 50 against Cam Newton and the Panthers.
He is 34 now.
“I know It’s cliché, but it’s really just another game for me,’’ said Miller, who was traded away halfway through the 2021 season to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a second- and third-round draft picks – picks the Broncos used to select Nik Bonitto and re-trade for Luke Wattenberg and Drew Sanders.
“I haven’t played there in two years," he said. "I didn’t get to play for the owner (Greg Penner) that’s there now, the head coach (Payton) that’s there now, so a lot of change since I’ve been there. But one thing that will never change is my love for Broncos Country. They were with me through everything, from coming in as a rookie to getting injured twice. Of course both Super Bowls. Super Bowl 50 MVP. …
“Definitely want to play better this game. I felt better last game. But obviously some things I’m trying to work through. But I felt great last game. It was the first game where I really wasn’t thinking about my knee or this or that. It was just football. So definitely want to build on that and get going. It’s time. No need to sound the alarm but it’s getting close.’’
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