ASHBURN, Va. — When the Denver Broncos last visited Washington eight years ago, their locker room became the unexpected starting point of a months-long recruitment of quarterback Kirk Cousins. That Christmas Eve performance — three touchdowns against Denver — left players imagining what their future could look like with Cousins under center.

It’s a memory Von Miller remembers clearly. Back then, Denver was only beginning its post–Peyton Manning search while still feeling the glow of Super Bowl 50. Miller would endure five losing seasons and a carousel of quarterbacks before landing in Los Angeles, where he won a second Super Bowl and later signed with Buffalo.

This summer, the future Hall of Famer believed he was joining another contender. Instead, the 36-year-old pass rusher finds himself on a 3–8 Washington Commanders team fighting to stay afloat.

Miller’s Return Comes as Broncos Surge — and Commanders Collapse

Denver travels to Washington on Sunday riding an eight‑game winning streak and boasting one of the best defenses in the NFL. Miller, meanwhile, will try to steady a Commanders team that has dropped six straight and sits on the brink of elimination.

“This is my third time playing them, but it’s still weird,” Miller said this week. “You build these bonds and you never really think you’re going to leave.”

Denver’s 10‑year celebration of its Super Bowl 50 title adds another layer of emotion. Miller, the game’s MVP, is featured prominently in the team’s media guide — even as he prepares to line up against them.

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Washington Needed a Closer — and Miller Still Delivers in Key Situations

Washington didn’t just want Miller for nostalgia. With three defensive ends lost for the season — Deatrich Wise Jr., Dorance Armstrong, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste — the Commanders desperately needed pass‑rush help.

Armstrong’s absence has hurt them severely. Washington blitzes more, pressures less, and gives up more yards per pass. Yet despite limited snaps, Miller has delivered exactly what the team hoped for: a closer on critical downs.
Nearly 62% of his pressures and three of his five sacks have come on third down.

He’s not the player he was in his prime, but the numbers remain elite. His pressure‑to‑sack conversion rate — 23.8% — is his best in seven years.

Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi put it plainly:
“He’s still got the ability to ruin a game.”

Chasing Legacy: Miller Eyes NFL Top 10 in Career Sacks

Miller’s résumé in Denver is already unmatched — 110.5 sacks, a franchise record. Now he’s after an NFL milestone. With 134.5 career sacks, he is just 3.5 away from passing Richard Dent and John Randle for 10th on the all-time list.

He expects former teammate DeMarcus Ware — sitting at 138.5 — to joke with him once he gets there.

“I can’t just be No. 10,” Miller said. “I gotta be like No. 6 so I stay there. Guys are getting six sacks a game now.”

At 36, he’s not planning to quit anytime soon. “At this stage, there’s always something to play for,” he said. “I want as many sacks as possible. I want to play next year. But right now, Sunday Night Football against the Broncos — that’s special.”