Could Von Miller Return to Broncos? Reading the Tea Leaves

Are the stars aligning for a Von Miller return to Denver?

If Von Miller makes a return to the Denver Broncos, many factors will have to fall into place. High up on the list would have to be a burning desire by GM George Paton to want Miller as that impactful edge rusher to help chase down the top-tier quarterbacks of the AFC West.

The Broncos' edge rusher void was opened up by Paton’s decision to trade Miller away to the Los Angeles Rams in the first place. So, the GM is well aware of the need to plug the hole, despite being comfortable with how the Broncos have been rebuilding thus far.

“But we’re going to add. You can’t have enough rushers,” Paton said via the team website last week. “We need to get a mismatch-type rusher to really help our back end, but I do like how the group, especially after Von [Miller] left, how they stepped up and did some good things.”

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In addition to other guys producing, Paton added the extra draft capital in exchange for Miller to continue with his retooling of the Broncos. Of all the veteran edge rushers the Broncos could chase on the open market this spring, Miller will likely be the most coveted by teams, so just maybe Paton was looking two steps ahead all along.

While that might be a stretch, Paton played it smart by giving Miller the opportunity to ring a ring in L.A., all while keeping relations good with the former face of the Broncos franchise. Those good vibes were made evident when Miller expressed his feelings towards the Broncos in no uncertain terms.

“This wasn’t my choice. I always wanted to be a Denver Bronco forever,” Von said ahead of Super Bowl LVI. “I’ll always be a Denver Bronco forever. I’m just here working in L.A right now.”

Such passionate words and emotions only fan the flames of a possible Broncos reunion with Miller when the new league year opens on March 16. Paton will enter the NFL's annual bidding war with a loaded deck of close to $50 million to play with, and with Spotrac estimating Miller has a market value of $10.6 million, the Broncos could easily make a push for his services. 

Paton will also be keen to keep a hefty stack of chips at hand in the event of Aaron Rodgers being made available on the trade market by Green Bay. Miller might find that move particularly attractive if he is keen on returning home again. 

Miller's family dynamics can’t be overlooked either, particularly after the two-time Super Bowl winner admitted how hard it was to leave his son behind in Denver post-trade.

“That was one of the toughest things I had to do, was to leave my first-born son in Denver and come here,” Miller said during Super Bowl week. “But it’s just the nature of my sport.”

What Miller's sojourn on the West Coast has proved that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Furthermore, his leadership skills that were, at times, called into question have flourished to such an extent that Aaron Donald thanked his teammate in an emotional exchange captured on camera on Sunday.

"You don't know how much you did for me, bro."

This moment between @AaronDonald97 and @VonMiller is everything. 🙌 (via @nflfilms, @insidethenfl) pic.twitter.com/wklaqb5XIN

— NFL (@NFL) February 16, 2022

“You don’t know how much you did for me, bro. When you talked to me, I listened. When you talked about me being a better leader, I listened. When you said you needed to hear my voice, I listened…. It meant the world, bro. I love you forever,” Donald told Miller.

If the Broncos acquire a top-tier QB, Miller could once again find himself becoming a team's final piece to completing a winning jigsaw puzzle.

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Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

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