The Denver Broncos have plenty of talented linebackers, but Von Miller wants to return to Denver and join the crew.
Former Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has been lobbying hard to return to Denver so he can close out his career there, and now he’s got a current linebacker joining the cause. Nik Bonitto is doing some of the same things Miller did as a pass rusher, and he’s all thumbs-up when it comes to the possibility of a Broncos reunion, according to a report from Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
“It would be pretty crazy, for sure,” Bonitto said, via Zac Stevens of DNVR. “Obviously, everybody would love that. Not only the fans but the players. He’s a guy that’s loved here in Denver so much. My personal favorite player ever to watch. Just being able to share a room with him would be amazing.”
It’s an intriguing possibility, especially given that Miller is still a very productive player, having had nine sacks for the Washington Commanders last season. Miller would probably still fit in with the Broncos’ hyper-aggressive linebacking group, which specializes in getting to the quarterback.
Unfortunately for Miller and Bonitto, however, “everyone” doesn’t include coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton. They’ve put this group together very carefully, with specific plans for key players. The latest example of this is Payton’s comments that outside linebacker Jonah Elliss will be given a shot at playing inside, either as a depth option or a part-time possibility along with current inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
In theory that would give Miller an option to play outside, but the Broncos have plenty of options there as well, even if Ellis does make the move.
But there are a couple of problems with this, beyond the fact that Payton and Paton don’t seem all that interested in bringing Miller back. The most obvious one is that Miller hasn’t said anything about playing for the veteran minimum, which is almost certainly what would have to happen if he did return.
The other issue is that Miller has been hurting his cause to some extent with his intensive lobbying. His last round of comments included the possibility of returning to Denver in a front office role, and he mentioned GM as the job he’d be most interested in.
That likely drew a huge eye roll from both the coach and the current GM, but that won’t stop the noise about Miller making a comeback with the Broncos until training camp rolls around and he realizes that his job choices will definitely be elsewhere.