Von Miller wants more than DPOY in 2021 season
Whisper it quietly but there are NFL, even Broncos, fans who believe Von Miller could be washed. Perhaps he's not what he used to be, some say.
Make no mistake the Denver Broncos' all-time sack leader hears it all.
"We joke about obviously everyone doubts his age and stuff like that," Broncos kicker Brandon McManus said on June 9. "I think the first week he made a comment on how he's still whooping all these people's butts. They were 22, 23 years old. That's just who he is.”
Miller is known for being a funny, lovable guy in the Broncos' Englewood facility, though a fire burns inside No. 58 to achieve more than he ever has before.
"I still want to be Defensive Player of the Year," Miller said on 'Behind The Broncos: Training Camp.' "I still want to lead the league in sacks. I still want to be the greatest defensive football player that this world has ever seen.”
Miller is every chance to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, particularly if he were to claim the elusive DPOY award. After witnessing former Broncos Super Bowl winning quarterback Peyton Manning get inducted in Canton, Miller found new motivation to secure his own bust.
“That’s everybody’s dream, but I’m still here working on my Hall of Fame resume right now," Miller said on August 11.
"I want to make that resume as iron clad as I can. It is a tough group to get into. It’s only [346] guys that have been elected—five per year. It’s super, super tough to get into that elite group of people to get that golden jacket. I want that and I want it bad.
"You sit there and you listen to all these speeches. Of course, you think about it. I just re-invested in myself saying, ‘I have to make sure this happens. I have to leave no mistake on my career so I can get in.’ I still have a lot of time to do it. Of course, you think about doing it, but I thought about doing more to get in there.”
McManus, who was a teammate of Manning's during his four seasons in Denver, sees similarities between The Sheriff and The Sackmaster, particularly in their mental fortitude.
“Just similar to Peyton – whatever these guys put their minds to, they're able to accomplish," McManus said of Miller on June 9.
"That's just the kind of competitors that they are and the athletes that they are. So I don't see anything slowing him down personally. I'm excited to watch him finally, for two years now, to get back out there and dominate like he did before."
Head coach Vic Fangio seemed pleased with what he saw from Miller, praising his performance against the Los Angeles Rams at Mile High on August 28.
"I thought Von played [well]," Fangio said on September 1. "He moved really [well]. He has no ill effects from the injury he had. That was about the only good thing about his injury—when he’s healed, he’s healed. It’s not one that lingers.”
In a worrying sign for NFL defenses, McManus, almost three months ago, said Miller has "never looked any better." With an uninterrupted training camp and preseason under the belt, Miller may wreak havoc like it's 2016 all over again.