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Washington Post
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Von Miller: ‘I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be' with Commanders
For the first time in his 14-year career, Von Miller was on unfamiliar ground. The eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 50 MVP spent a decade with the Denver Broncos before finding more success in Los Angeles and more riches in Buffalo. But after the Bills released him in March, Miller was a free agent for four months. 'I really hate not being sure,' he told The Washington Post on Monday, shortly after signing his contract with the Washington Commanders and a day before veterans report to training camp. 'I hate not knowing what's about to happen next, but at the same time, it creates this inner peace in me where I can only control what I can control and I can be present. It just puts more emphasis on the now, to be great right now. Nothing in life happens by coincidence, so I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.' Miller said he met with other teams. But when he flew to Northern Virginia in June to meet with Coach Dan Quinn and General Manager Adam Peters, he became more familiar with the answer to his problem. Quarterback Jayden Daniels joined their lunch at the upscale Ashburn steakhouse Eddie Merlot's. Six weeks later, Miller signed a one-year, $6.1 million contract that has a maximum value of $10.5 million with incentives. 'It was the best team with the best quarterback,' Miller said. 'That's usually the math for me to be able to go and do what I do.' But there was more that figured into this one for Miller. The NFL's active sack leader (129½) has a slew of records on his resume — the most sacks in Broncos history (110½); the most career earnings of any defensive player in NFL history (approximately $192 million, per Spotrac); and the most career sacks in Super Bowls, tying Charles Haley (4½) — to all but ensure he has a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Miller is hungry for more. He ranks 16th in career sacks since 1982, when the statistic became official, but he's only 8½ away from cracking the top 10. And if Miller collects all $10.5 million, or comes close to it, he'd be the first defensive player in history to top $200 million in career earnings. Even sweeter is the prospect of a third Super Bowl ring. 'You can't leave Josh Allen and just go anywhere,' Miller said of Buffalo's QB. 'You can't leave your old girlfriend and just go with just anybody. Like, Josh Allen was MVP of the league last year. I feel like Jayden Daniels has MVP potential as well.' Miller was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and an NFL defensive rookie of the year before he won his first Super Bowl. But his 2½-sack performance in Super Bowl 50 launched him into another stratosphere. He signed a six-year, $114.5 million contract with the Broncos in 2016 – shortly after a whirlwind media tour complete with a stint on 'Dancing With the Stars.' The highs of that year were followed by numerous lows as the Broncos cycled through 13 starting quarterbacks over the next seven seasons. Miller later suffered an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2020 season and was traded to the Rams the next year, ending his dream of being 'a Bronco for life' while setting him up for a repeat: another multi-sack Super Bowl performance and another nine-figure contract, this time with the Bills. Should Miller help Washington win it all, he'd become only the second player in NFL history to earn a ring with three teams (former linebacker Matt Millen won four Super Bowls with three teams). Miller's health will likely dictate his future. He suffered an ACL injury in 2022, his first season in Buffalo, and hasn't been the same game-wrecker he once was. He registered zero sacks in 2023 and has zero starts over the last two seasons. 'One of my things this offseason was just to stay healthy,' he said. 'It's kind of weird not having a contract. You don't want to hit it too hard because you don't want to come in feeling unhealthy … so I had to take my foot off the gas a little bit. But these last three weeks, I've been hitting it pretty hard. So I'm feeling pretty good. I'm ready to go.' Three years out from his knee injury, Miller says he's feeling 'better and better.' He showed glimmers of his old self last season with six sacks in limited snaps for the Bills. His last two sacks, against the New York Jets and New England Patriots to close out the regular season, were vintage Miller. Miller's expected role in Washington was made clear to him from the outset. At 36, he's no longer the guy to carry the load, but rather the sparkplug who can close out a series and put the ball back in Daniels's hands. That, to Miller, was part of the appeal. 'They got a lot of dogs on this team, so all I got to do is just come here and be me,' he said. ' … There were times in Denver where I went into games and I felt like — I still feel like it sometimes: 'Man, I got to win this game by myself. I gotta do something crazy, I need to get a sack, force fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown for us to do it.' And even if I did do it, that still wouldn't guarantee us the win in Denver. If I'm making those types of plays here, we're going to win the game.' Miller said the last four years have given him a new perspective; age and experience provide it inherently, but lessons from previous transitions have influenced an approach in which he tries to embrace a situation without comparing it to the last. For much of his career — at Texas A&M and in L.A. and Buffalo — Miller wore No. 40. In Denver, he wore No. 58. He chose No. 24 in Washington for multiple reasons. He wore the number for one game in his career, to honor an injured teammate in college. But has long been a fan of the late NBA star Kobe Bryant and former Broncos teammate (and Washington legend) Champ Bailey. '[Five] was my very first number, but obviously five is already taken,' he said, referring to Daniels. ' … Respect Champ Bailey a lot. Played with Champ Bailey for three years, one of my big brothers, and he played here and he wore 24. So it was kind of like it spoke to me in so many different ways.' As he prepares for his 15th year and fourth NFL team, Miller doesn't know how much longer he'll play. He jokes he doesn't want to get 'kicked out of the league' but also doesn't want to leave too soon. Even at 36 and after a number of injuries, he says his love for the game hasn't waned. And amid the newness in Ashburn, he'll be surrounded by plenty of familiarity. Miller's two sons will be at training camp. Valor, 3, already is quite opinionated. Victory, 2, was born on Feb. 7, the date (albeit eight years later) the Broncos won Super Bowl 50, and is just beginning to understand what his father does. 'I want to get to a point where he can start to remember some of this stuff,' Miller said. 'Randomly, on Sunday, before I came out here, I was taking my boys down to my mom's house in Dallas and my youngest, he just started singing, 'Let's go Buffalo,'' Miller said with a laugh. 'I had to tell him, 'I'm a Washington Commander, son. I don't know if he understood or not.'
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Gossip: Young set for McKenna reunion?
Ipswich Town are leading the race for 40-year-old ex-England right-back Ashley Young, who is a free agent and played under Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna during his time coaching at Manchester United. (Sky Sports, external)Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakers star LeBron James had interest in reuniting with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving
LeBron James had the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Instead, the four-time champion chose to pick up his $52.6 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers for an eighth season. There was speculation that James could request a trade or buyout to land in his preferred destination as there was limited cap space around the league this summer. He appears set to begin the season in Los Angeles, which would mark his longest consecutive tenure with one franchise. Despite the four-time MVP remaining with the Lakers, John Hollinger of The Athletic reported that he showed interest in joining Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving -- two of his former teammates that he won a championship with -- on the Dallas Mavericks. "While he opted in to the final year of his contract and does not appear to be an imminent trade candidate, as our Joe Vardon and Dan Woike reported here, that doesn't necessarily mean returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal was at the top of his wish list," The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote Monday. "In particular, the whispers about him having eyes for Dallas — a place where he could have teamed up with former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving and young phenom Cooper Flagg — before opting into his deal were hard to ignore." Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp "Obviously, James wasn't willing to leave $52 million on the table to take a nontaxpayer MLE or something similar from the Mavericks or another team," Hollinger continued. "A buyout seems similarly unlikely. Additionally, the tax aprons on both sides will make any in-season transaction with a contender-class team challenging." James found himself the subject of trade proposals and buyout rumors for the first time in his illustrious career, which is set to enter an NBA record 23rd season. While he appeared to have some interest in joining the Mavericks, the move seemed unlikely from the moment that he picked up his player option. Instead, the superstar will return to the Lakers, who have made several additions as they look to build the roster around him and Luka Dončić. Los Angeles has added Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart during the offseason -- and appear motivated to continue adding talent. More NBA:
Al Arabiya
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Chris Paul returns to clippers for what's expected to be his 21st and final nba season
Chris Paul is rejoining the Los Angeles Clippers for what's expected to be the point guard's 21st and final NBA season. The team confirmed Monday afternoon that Paul had signed. The 12-time All-Star was a free agent after playing all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last season, becoming the first NBA player to do so in his 20th season or later. He averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists while shooting 43 percent from the floor. Paul had stated that he wanted to play the upcoming season close to his family, which lives in Los Angeles. He joins a veteran roster that includes new additions guard Bradley Beal, forward John Collins, and center Brook Lopez, as well as Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Paul played six seasons for the Clippers during their Lob City era with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. He made five All-Star teams from 2012 to 2017, and his 4,023 assists are still the most in franchise history. Paul left the Clippers for the Houston Rockets in 2017 because he felt it was time for a change, and he wanted to compete for a championship with Harden. Paul spent two seasons in Houston before going to Oklahoma City for one season. He then spent three years with Phoenix and one with Golden State before joining the Spurs last season, who finished 13th in the Western Conference at 34-48. The Clippers finished fifth at 50-32 and lost to Denver in seven games in the first round. Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, said Saturday that the team was strongly considering signing Paul to join a crowded guard rotation of Harden, Beal, Bogdanovic, and Kris Dunn. Paul is expected to come off the bench. 'When you look at it, you have 10 quality rotation players right now. We typically play nine. What we've seen is the problem of potentially having too many guys and how that can impact the team,' Frank said. 'So we've learned from those lessons, and I think the conversations that we have with anyone who is going to join the Clippers next – they understand it's a reserve role. They understand going into camp exactly what it looks like. So there is no preconceived misconceptions.' The Clippers want to preserve Harden, who played nearly 2,800 minutes last season at age 35 in his 16th NBA season. They also view Paul as insurance against injuries that typically impact a roster during an 82-game season plus the playoffs. 'Role awareness, especially in this next roster spot, will be critical,' Frank said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Up their price': Collingwood tipped to land Carlton star over St Kilda
Kane Cornes has declared Collingwood a "good fit" for Jack Silvagni and predicted the Carlton player might choose the Pies over St Kilda. Silvagni becomes an unrestricted free agent this year and is yet to re-commit to the Blues. reported on Sunday that Collingwood have "emerged as a suitor" for the 27-year-old and have "expressed interest" in signing the defender. Carlton have reportedly offered a four-year contract extension to Silvagni, but he's yet to decide where his future lies. Silvagni has been linked to St Kilda the past, where famous father Steven is the list manager. Steven is a Carlton legend, but fell out with the club when he was let go as list manager and refuses to go back. On Monday morning, Cornes said he'd pick Collingwood over St Kilda if he were in Silvagni's shoes. 'He's a good fit for the Pies, absolutely,' Cornes said on SEN radio. When David King asked "Would you choose St Kilda or Collingwood?', Cornes responded: 'Probably Collingwood. But I'm not sure what sort of fee is the difference between the two. The Saints are offering big bickies so it could be $500,000 more at St Kilda than it is at Collingwood." Cornes pointed out that Collingwood's defenders were under heavy fire on Sunday in a one-point loss to Fremantle, with Patrick Voss kicking six goals on them. It might increase the Pies' desire to get some fresh faces in the back-line. 'If Collingwood review their backs yesterday, they'd go, 'Gee, we could have used a matchup for big 'Vossy' (Patrick Voss)', who just destroyed them," Cornes added. "So maybe they'll up their price for our boy Jack." Jack Silvagni linked to St Kilda as well Silvagni started the year in sensational form before he broke his hand, and then suffered a groin injury that has sidelined him since Round 16. His departure from the Blues will reportedly land Carlton a second-round draft pick if it eventuates. If he chooses Collingwood over the Saints, it would raise plenty of eyebrows considering his father's presence at St Kilda. Steven famously refused to be involved when Jack's 100th game was celebrated in the Carlton sheds in 2023. He was then absent when the Blues marked the 30th anniversary of their 1995 premiership in April. The 57-year-old was sacked as the club's list manager in 2019 and hasn't returned to the club in the six years that have followed. Carlton officials felt it was a conflict of interest that Steven was list manager while sons Jack and Ben were at the club, and it remains to be seen whether the same concerns would arise at St Kilda. RELATED: Coach rejects Harley Reid claim as Hinkley wows with Ginnivan response Jake Stringer cops sanction from AFL after GWS victory over Essendon Could Jack Silvagni replace Jeremy Howe at Collingwood? Carlton are expected to lose Tom De Koning to St Kilda this off-season, and Silvagni's departure would be a further blow. With the future of premiership defender Jeremy Howe under a cloud, Silvagni would be a shrewd pick-up for the Pies. The 35-year-old Howe is yet to be offered a contract at Collingwood for next season, leading to talk a move to North Melbourne could be a good way for him to finish his decorated 268-game career. But Kangaroos coach Alastair Clarkson all-but ruled out making a play for him last week. "We'll look at any player that we think will help our list, but I think he'd be pretty content at Collingwood," Clarkson said on Thursday. "They're chasing the flag. I don't think we'll be in that space (of chasing Howe), but who knows. "We had that strategy at the end of last year when we brought in Luke Parker and Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel, and they've given us some really good assistance and sturdiness. But we can't just keep going down that line either, because otherwise we will become too old." with AAP
