10:59pm: The Cowboys announced that they have agreed to terms with Miller.
8:06pm: Free agent edge defender Von Miller lobbied to join the Cowboys in July. A month later, it appears Miller will get his wish. He is expected to sign with Dallas, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It will be a one-year deal, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN
A native of DeSoto, Texas, Miller starred at Texas A&M before joining the Broncos as the second overall pick in the 2011 draft. The 37-year-old has put together a Hall of Fame-level career since then.
Miller, a two-time Super Bowl champion (one apiece with the Broncos and Rams) and the Super Bowl 50 MVP with Denver, has made eight Pro Bowls and earned seven All-Pro nods. He sits ninth on the all-time sack list (138.5) — tied with ex-Broncos teammate/former Cowboys dynamo DeMarcus Ware — and is just 3.5 from vaulting into solo sixth place.
This agreement comes four years after the Cowboys made a free agency run at Miller. The Cowboys and Rams were closely tied to the standout edge rusher in March 2022, but he ended up with a stealth suitor (the Bills) on a six-year, $120MM deal. Buffalo guaranteeing money into Year 3 of that contract convinced Miller to sign; Dallas offered a five-year, $70MM deal that year. Those were the same terms Randy Gregory rejected that year, as he ended up in Denver as one of the team’s Miller replacements.
Dallas will be the second straight NFC East stop for Miller, who landed in Washington last season on the heels of a three-year run in Buffalo. With the Commanders coming off a season in which they advanced to the NFC title game, Miller accepted their one-year, $6.1MM offer because he expected them to push for a Lombardi Trophy. He chose the Commanders over the Seahawks, who went on to win Super Bowl LX, and later admitted he “picked the wrong” team.
The injury-plagued Commanders skidded to a woeful 5-12 record, though Miller was hardly to blame for their issues. He stayed healthy for a full 17-game season and held his own in a rotational role. Despite playing just 37% of defensive snaps, Miller piled up 15 quarterback hits and a team-high nine sacks. Miller expressed interest in re-signing with the Commanders, though his comments about making a mistake in choosing them over the Seahawks look to have at least damaged that bridge. Miller also made it known he wanted to return to Denver, but the Broncos did not appear to share that interest.
The Cowboys also missed the playoffs last year, when an inept defense canceled out a high-octane offense and led to a 7-9-1 finish. Dallas’ defense did fare nicely in pass rush win rate (ninth), but it only tied for 26th in sacks. Although Jadeveon Clowney recorded a team-leading 8.5, the Cowboys let him walk in free agency because they did not believe he was a fit in new coordinator Christian Parker‘s defense. Veteran edge defender Dante Fowler also departed in free agency.
Although the Broncos traded Miller to the Rams at the 2021 deadline, his tenure did overlap with Parker’s three-year Denver stay. The Broncos hired Parker to be their defensive backs coach in 2021, making this a reunion of sorts. If nothing else, Miller is quite familiar with the scheme the Vic Fangio disciple will run in Dallas.
Before agreeing to sign Miller, the Cowboys addressed their pass rush when they acquired Rashan Gary from the Packers and drafted Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd overall pick. The Cowboys also have Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston, Sam Williams and Marist Liufau as holdovers along the edge, and their D-tackle duo of Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark should continue to aid their pass rush from the interior.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in late July that he was still on the hunt for a “splash player.” Miller may not fit the description at this stage of his career, but if last year’s performance carries into 2026, he should be a solid pickup for the Cowboys.
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