After the Denver Broncos landed star quarterback Russell Wilson via trade in March, then-free agent outside linebacker Von Miller made it clear on social media that he was open to returning to the team.
Instead of a reunion in Denver, though, Miller ended up signing a massive contract with the Buffalo Bills. That left fans to wonder if Miller might have just been using the Broncos as leverage in negotiations as a free agent.
It turns out that Miller truly was interested in returning to the Broncos, but the interest in a reunion was not mutual. That’s according to Dan Pompei, who wrote this in a recent story for The Athletic:
While the Rams were still in the playoffs, Miller got word to Broncos higher-ups that he would be on board for them to trade for Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers and bring him back. Once free agency began, however, he never heard from his old team.
Money was likely a factor.
Miller will earn an average of $20 million per season from the Bills. The Broncos, meanwhile, signed fellow pass rusher Randy Gregory to a five-year deal worth an average of $13.9 million.
Gregory is four years younger than Miller and with Wilson set to receive a massive contract extension, Denver probably felt they could not afford to bring Miller back. That’s our guess, anyway.
Hat tip to our friends at Bills Wire for pointing out The Athletic story.
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