ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders signed a big name in Von Miller. But the expectations need to be tethered to reality. Miller can help Washington, but he's also 36 years old.
That said, he doesn't need to return to his Pro Bowl and All-Pro pass rushing days to be of service. Of course every team could use a dynamic edge rusher. But short of that, Washington also needs options and only needs Miller to become their closer -- a la former New York Yankees great Mariano Rivera -- and provide the defensive punctuations they failed to make last season.
Miller needs to be viewed as another chess piece and not just the final piece -- a guy who they hope can impact those around him while still having his presence felt by opposing quarterbacks. One former teammate who also has faced him said Miller was still explosive. But he also pointed out the impact injuries have taken on the 2011 No. 2 overall pick.
One coach who has faced Miller in the past two seasons said this spring he "can still find some great rushes if he wants" and that he "wouldn't bet against a motivated Miller."
The signing is the latest in a string of clear acquisitions that Washington is "going for it" this season. But it also highlights another change in Washington: Older players used to chase the money in D.C., now they're chasing rings. Or, for a change, both. Players such as Miller, linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight Zach Ertz, would not be here otherwise.
The combined age of the team is a testament to that fact. The Commanders now have 22 players age 30 or older on the roster, and are trying to thread the needle between building for the future with draft picks while still filling holes with veterans -- a byproduct of too many failed draft picks from the past -- to contend while quarterback Jayden Daniels plays out his rookie contract.
At some point they need to get younger.
Miller joins a Commanders pass rush that wasn't bad last season, ranking 11th in the NFL with 43 sacks. However, when they needed it most on crucial third downs and late-game situations, they often failed to generate pressure on the opposing quarterback.
In the fourth quarter of games, Washington recorded five sacks -- the third-lowest mark in the league. The Commanders' pass rush win rate in the final quarter last season was 13.3%; only one player, Wagner, at 31.6% was better than 21.1% in this category, according to ESPN Research. With Buffalo last season, Miller had a pass rush win rate in the fourth quarter of 25.5% -- third-highest in the NFL.
In those quarters Miller had 12 pass rush wins -- one more than anyone on Washington's roster. Defensive end Dorance Armstrong led with 11; Frankie Luvu was next with eight. The Commanders had two fourth quarter pass rush wins over their three postseason games. Miller had three by himself over the same amount of games.
If he can provide the pass rush Washington needs, perhaps head coach Dan Quinn & Co. won't need the offense to duplicate its late-game heroics from a season ago. In 2024, the Commanders won nine one-score games, with six coming on their final offensive possession.
Of course, that also means Miller must be available. He did play in all 16 games, including the playoffs, for which he was eligible last season, but also served a four-game suspension without pay for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He missed five games in 2022 after tearing his ACL, which impacted the following season -- not just with five missed games but in his performance; he recorded zero sacks in 12 regular season games in 2023. He's had two torn ACLs to the same knee and missed 2020 with a dislocated tendon in his foot.
Miller might have wear and tear but the Commanders just need him to remain fresh for the fourth quarter.
"I could have easily sat out all of last season, but I couldn't do my teammates like that," he told SI.com last year. "But at the same time, I shouldn't have been out there. I feel like people are judging me on that, so it's making me a little bit angry, to be honest."
One league source earlier this offseason pointed out how Quinn brought in former Indianapolis Colts great Dwight Freeney for a similar role when Quinn was coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 -- a year the Falcons reached the Super Bowl. It's why they signed Wagner last offseason: Quinn values that mentorship at each position group -- a practice that paid off last season.
Wagner quickly became not only a leader among linebackers but also among the team. The former Seattle Seahawks great developed a strong bond with Daniels, becoming a de facto "big brother" to burgeoning star. During the spring, teammates reacted to Wagner's presence as if he were a rock star. But Wagner didn't act that way and knows how to lead individuals and a team.
For his part, Miller can help Washington's other pass rushers, though his skill set is different than theirs. Miller started a pass rush summit in 2017 -- now named the Sack Summit -- to bring together defensive linemen and help them get after the passer better.
Washington's edge rushers are mostly older. The Commanders have a collection of players who can get between five to eight sacks -- though Luvu could be poised to do more. Miller could also help the tackles. At times last season, Miller would create a one-on-one for an interior linemen on his side. Though it didn't help the Bills interior rush, Washington hopes its pass-rushing tackles such as Daron Payne, Jer'Zhan Newton and Javon Kinlaw will benefit from the extra attention Miller commands. The Commanders also can use a quicker pass rush on obvious downs by sliding Armstrong and Deatrich Wise Jr. inside.
Finally, Miller's presence will likely help rookie offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. as well. The team hopes the summer 1-on-1s can get Conerly up to speed quickly. It's what Miller, which one coach called a top-tier teammate, has done at his summit and in the locker room. It helps that general manager Adam Peters was in Denver's front office as for Miller's first six seasons.
"I've always been a believer iron sharpens iron, and this is a place where we could do that," the coach told ESPN last summer. "It's all to make us all better. I'm making them better and they're making me better. So it's not about our quarterbacks or their quarterbacks. We're all getting better."
That's what Miller offers. What he delivers won't be known for a while.