Von Miller is about to get paid a lot of money. In fact, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, he could end up receiving a contract that pays him more than any other player in NFL history, at least if he gets his way.
Cole reported earlier on Friday that a source close to Miller has said that the Super Bowl MVP will be looking to make $22 million a season, a number only matched by Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers. The next closest defender, Ndamukong Suh, sits at $19.1 million a year.
While that seems like an exorbitant amount of money, Miller and his representatives believe it’s justified. They believe, and rightfully so, that if Miller were to reach the open market, he would find a deal worth $22 million a year, if not more. In their mind, if Olivier Vernon can get $17 million a year, then Miller should easily be able to get $22 million.
And according to Cole, general managers around the league agree.
“They (general managers) say that what Miller is asking for is not that out of hand, if and when he does that,” Cole said about Miller hitting the open market. “They say that if he was on the open market, he would probably blow past what the quarterback market looks like, getting $24 or $25 million a year.”
Right now, Miller is scheduled to make $14 million on the franchise tag, and that makes these negotiations very interesting.
The Broncos want to get Miller locked into a long-term deal before his price rises any further, yet the idea of getting him for another season on what could be an $8-10 million discount is appealing, too. For Miller, the idea of reaching the open market might sound enticing, but playing a full season without a long-term deal could put him at risk of a serious injury.
It’ll be interesting to see how Elway and Miller work this out. It could go a long way towards determining the future of the Denver Broncos.
