The Washington Commanders are bringing in experienced defensive end Von Miller to strengthen their pass rush and improve their defense in finishing games.
On Wednesday night, Miller shared two photos of himself wearing a Washington jersey on his Instagram. He has achieved 129.5 career sacks, placing him 16th on the all-time list. While he still needs to pass a physical, he will sign a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
At 36 years old, Miller played for the Buffalo Bills over the past three seasons and recorded a total of 14 sacks—eight during his first season and six last year.
Washington hopes he can replicate his success with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, where he helped them win the Super Bowl as a key addition after being traded midseason. During that time, he had five sacks in eight regular-season games and added four more during the playoffs.
In his first ten years with the Denver Broncos, Miller racked up 110.5 sacks and earned selection to seven All-Pro teams, including three first-team honors. He also made it to the Pro Bowl eight times, with his most recent appearance after the 2019 season. Additionally, he was named MVP of Super Bowl 50.
Washington’s general manager, Adam Peters, was with the Denver Broncos when they chose Miller in the first round of the 2011 draft. He left after the 2016 season to join the San Francisco 49ers.
Last season, the Commanders’ pass rush achieved 43 sacks, ranking 11th in the NFL. However, their pass rush had some weaknesses: they were 26th in a four-man rush with just 22 sacks and ranked 30th in the fourth quarter with only five sacks.
This is one reason why quarterbacks had a fourth-quarter QBR of 74.8 against Washington, which was the fourth highest in the league.
The Commanders considered several defensive ends during free agency, including DeMarcus Lawrence and Joey Bosa. They also looked at pass rushers early in the draft but decided to pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round and cornerback Trey Amos in the second.
Washington signed several veteran linemen during free agency, such as ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jacob Martin. They also have linebacker Frankie Luvu, who made second-team All-Pro after achieving a career-high of eight sacks last season.
On March 9, the Bills released Miller, which opened up $8.4 million in salary cap space. He was set to take up the second-most cap space on the roster at $23.9 million, behind only quarterback Josh Allen.
Miller’s time with the Bills had many ups and downs. He signed a six-year contract worth $120 million during the 2022 offseason. After starting strong with eight sacks in 11 games, he suffered a serious right ACL injury on November 24, 2022.
During training camp in 2024, Miller admitted that he “probably should not have played” in 2023 due to the injury. He ended the 2023 season having played in 12 games without any sacks and only three tackles.
In 2024, Miller faced a four-game suspension (Weeks 5-8) for breaking the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
This stemmed from accusations that he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend in suburban Dallas while the Bills were on their bye week in 2023. He turned himself into the police and was soon released on bond. The case was eventually closed without any charges being filed, and the NFL carried out its own investigation.
