The Washington Commanders sent ripples through the NFL with the late-summer signing of Von Miller. He is expected to start on the right side of the D-line and bring tremendous leadership traits to a competitive Commanders team. And yet, while it's only reasonable to get hyped about signing a two-time champ and an eight-time Pro Bowler, Washington fans need to pump the brakes a wee bit.
There's a reason Miller was available in mid-July, with training camp mere days away. The Buffalo Bills let him go after a bumpy season in the blizzardy north. Miller appeared in 13 games but logged zero starts for Buffalo last season, notching six sacks, 17 tackles and eight QB hits. He can still get after the quarterback, but Miller's production is slowly trending down. Of course it is. The man is 36 years old with a ton of NFL mileage.
Miller's new contract happens to show that Washington is hedging its bets. He will early a base salary of $6.1 million with up to $4.4 million in incentives, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
New #Commanders edge Von Miller is signing a 1-year, $6.1M deal with a chance to make $10.5M in incentives, sources say. https://t.co/iEh2UFYCd8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 19, 2025
Von Miller's low base salary proves Commanders are hedging against injuries
While Miller is still impactful on the field — his PFF grade last season ranked 15th among NFL linebackers — he has dealt with injuries in each of the last three seasons. Miller tore his ACL in 2022, which required season-ending surgery and has appeared to hamper him in a lasting way. He played 13 games last season, 12 the year before, and 11 in 2022 prior to the ACL tear. Miller hasn't started since that fateful 2022 campaign, his first in Buffalo.
The Bills didn't part with Miller because he couldn't produce on the field. It's because he wasn't reliable. As the old adage goes, availability is the best ability, and Miller has struggled to deliver on that front. At 36, he probably won't get healthier. It's not impossible. Sometimes a freak athlete does freak athlete things. But the trend lines are pointing in the wrong direction for Miller, who is far more likely to regress at this stage of his career.
Commanders are going all-in around Jayden Daniels... with a catch
The Commanders are smartly doubling down on their competitive aspirations after a miraculous rookie campaign from Jayden Daniels. No team presented a more clear threat to Philadelphia in the NFC, even if their postseason matchup turned into something of a blowout. Daniels has MVP upside and should take a meaningful sophomore leap.
That said, it's fair to wonder if Washington's roster is a bit... dated. Only two projected starters on defense right now are below 27 years old — nickelback Mike Sainristil and safety Quan Martin. Miller, 36, and Bobby Wagner, 35, stand out as two of Washington's most critical pass rushers. How sustainable is Washington's defense over an 18-game regular season, not to mention the playoffs? It's fair to be more than a little concerned when rivals, like Philadelphia, are restocking ready-made young talent all the time.
At the end of the day, the Miller signing is a smart and low-risk gamble for the Commanders, who can deploy him in a substantial role and scale back if needed. The incentives package allows him to get paid his worth if things break right, but it also gives Washington an out if things break poorly. Miller has the potential to move the needle in DC, but Commanders fans just need to understand that his durability is far from a guarantee.