In a poetic turn of events, in Von Miller's quest for a third Lombardi Trophy, the Denver Broncos stand in his way. Although Miller is now a Buffalo Bill, he began his iconic NFL career in the Mile High City as the Broncos' No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft.
Miller went on to garner perennial Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, leading the Broncos all the way in Super Bowl 50, emerging as the game's MVP. Although he would continue to bring home individual accolades, the team success ended following Super Bowl 50, and he would become a bright spot on an otherwise ugly team from 2016-21 before the Broncos traded him to the Los Angeles Rams.
Miller won a Super Bowl in his one and only season with the Rams, before signing a massive free-agent deal with the Bills. Fast forward to this season, and the Broncos are back in the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50 and to advance, Miller and the Bills stand in the way.
It's quite clear that Miller still has fond feelings for the Broncos, as his Monday Instagram post would suggest, anyway. He posted the words "Full Circle" with a few images from his days as a Bronco.
What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!
Miller's post evokes how bittersweet it must be to face the Broncos in the playoffs as a Bill. And to be on a juggernaut No. 2-seeded Bills team that stands in Denver's way of fully realizing postseason redemption.
No matter how and when Miller's NFL season concludes, there's no doubt that he's headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While the Hall of Fame no longer requires players to pick a team with which to be enshrined, if that was still the way things worked, we all know he'd be going in as a Bronco.
Yes, Miller played well in 2021 after the midseason trade that transplanted him in L.A., but he was very fortunate to land on that particular Rams team. L.A. was a prolific edge rusher away from getting over the hump, and Miller was that guy.
Since then, though, Miller has struggled to regain his footing as a perennial Pro Bowler. Injuries and Father Time have relegated the 35-year-old to a rotational role. He notched six sacks in 13 games this season.
When Miller retires, don't be surprised to see him come home to Denver to do so as a Bronco. He's a Bronco for life.
But that's no consolation to Bo Nix and Sean Payton, who have to account for Miller and a predatory Bills defense. Payton knows he'll need a plan to account for Miller and company.
“You see his edge presence," Payton said of Miller on Wednesday. "Certainly, he does a great job with his arms. He can still bend. You have to be aware of when he’s on the field relative to what you’re wanting to do."
Payton and Miller have both been around long enough to have participated in the actual Pro Bowl game. Back then, the AFC and NFC all-stars would compete in a game with a modest bonus going to the players on the winning side.
Reflecting on those days, Payton was ready for an interesting Miller anecdote.
"I can remember him for all those years here," Payton said. "When you coach the Pro Bowl, we were playing an actual Pro Bowl game back then. We happened to be the staff for the NFC, and obviously, he was with the AFC. I don’t know what the financial difference is for the winners and losers, but back then the fourth quarter, it would pick up a little bit because everyone had a hotel bill to pay. (Laughs) Certainly watching him play in that Pro Bowl, I’ll never forget it. I thought, ‘This guy has a big hotel room bill to pay,’ and we had problems blocking him, so you’ll never forget that. [He is an] elite player, [Pro Football] Hall-of-Fame type player.”
For his part, Nix is well aware of the Miller legend in Denver and the threat he still poses as a Bill.
"I know just from watching the Broncos back in the day, he was the contributor," Nix said on Wednesday. "[He was] the main player for that Super Bowl [50] team on defense and he made some great plays that day for the Super Bowl, but also that year. [He was] a great guy to have in this organization, but now he’s on the opposing team and now we have to face him."
One thing Denver has going in its favor in this matchup is its offensive line and Nix's pocket savvy. Even as a rookie, Nix was one of the toughest quarterbacks to sack, as the Broncos finished with the third-fewest sacks in the NFL.
But Buffalo can create pressure on the edge and its defense is tremendous at forcing bad decisions and capitalizing. The Bills ranked third in takeaways this season, averaging nearly two per game.
The Broncos will have their work cut out for them. But it will be a bittersweet experience for Broncos Country to face Miller as an opponent in a game with such single-elimination stakes.
