According to Mike Klis of 9News, the Denver Broncos have offered Von Miller a long-term contract worth somewhere between $17-18 million a year. And while that would make Miller a top-three highest-paid defender in the NFL, the Broncos can’t realistically expect him to agree to a deal that low — Malik Jackson is making $17.1 million a year (second highest in the NFL).
Not only does Miller want to be the highest-paid defender in the NFL, he’s looking to quite possibly be the highest-paid player in NFL history. That could be a problem given that Klis reports the Broncos “don’t want to pay more than $19.062 million a year,” which is what the Miami Dolphins are currently paying Ndamukong Suh (highest-paid defender in NFL history).
The two sides are at an impasse: The Broncos don’t have the cap space to offer much more (they hardly have enough to offer that) and Von Miller clearly deserves to be the highest-paid defender in the NFL.
Just think about it this way: If Von Miller was being paid as much as Malik Jackson, something would seem wrong with the system, right?
Long term this could lead to two outcomes: A holdout or, as Mile High Sports’ Zac Stevens detailed, a long-term stay on the franchise tag.
The first is all but a done deal. In fact, as Klis details, Miller will almost undoubtedly miss the start of the Broncos offseason program on April 18 with his “Dancing with the Stars” obligations. Beyond that, if Denver can’t reach his demands, it would be no surprise if Miller initiated an extended holdout, possibly into the preseason. Klis, though, says that Miller and his agent have yet to discuss such a move.
And with the long-term contract deadline ever-looming on July 15, the clock is ticking, and the leverage is on the Broncos’ side. If a deal can’t be struck, Denver can simply keep the franchise tag on Miller, paying him $14.129 million in 2016, and begin this process anew next offseason. And if that doesn’t work, they can do the same the next offseason.
Maybe that leverage forces Miller to get a lowball deal done now, instead of risking the possibility of getting franchise tagged in three consecutive seasons.
Either way, Von Miller is all but guaranteed to be making well below his market value these next three years.