Von Miller will go down as the greatest defensive player in Broncos history
Sep 9, 2020, 5:01 AM
For 60-plus years, the Broncos have been playing football. And during that time, there have been a number of great defensive players to don the team’s uniform.
Back in the 1960s, during the franchise’s AFL days, Denver didn’t win a lot of games. But they did have a menacing defense, one led by Rich “Tombstone” Jackson. The defensive end was All-AFL in 1968 and ’69, as well as All-NFL in 1971. Sports Illustrated included Jackson on it’s all-star team commemorating the first 50 years of the NFL.
In the late 1970s, the Broncos finally became a winning franchise. They reached that level on the strength of their defense, a group that was know as “The Orange Crush.” While littered with talent, they were led by middle linebacker Randy Gradishar, who was selected to seven Pro Bowls, earned first-team All-Pro honors twice and was the 1978 Defensive Player of the Year.
A little more than a decade later, Denver was once again a Super Bowl contender. While most of the credit for reaching the league’s championship game three times in a four-year span is given to quarterback John Elway, the team’s defense was vastly underrated. They were led by Karl Mecklenburg, a versatile defender who player all seven positions along the defensive line and at linebacker during his career.
And when the team won back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s, they were again an offensive-minded team. That side of the ball boasted future Hall of Fame members in Elway, running back Terrell Davis, tight end Shannon Sharpe and left tackle Gary Zimmerman. But they also featured an opportunistic defense, one led by hard-hitting safety Steve Atwater, who was elected to join his former teammates in Canton in February.
As great as those defensive players were, however, they aren’t the best to ever wear a Broncos uniform. That distinction is reserved for the pass rusher who sits atop the team’s record books for career sacks and led the team to its third Lombardi Trophy – Von Miller.
Since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2011, Miller has been nothing short of sensational. And the accolades have piled up.
• He was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011, beating out the likes of J.J. Watt and Patrick Peterson.
• He’s been selected to the NFL’s “Top 100” in each of the last nine years, finishing as high as No. 2 in 2017.
• He’s been named to eight Pro Bowl teams and earned first-team All-NFL honors on three occasions.
• He was selected MVP of Super Bowl 50, when he recorded 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to power the Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Panthers.
• And he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in career sacks with 106.0.
No other defensive player in Broncos history boasts that kind of resume. And it’s not even close.
On Tuesday, it all may have come to a screeching halt. On the final play of practice, Miller injured a tendon in his ankle. It’s feared that he’ll require season-ending surgery to fix the problem.
If that’s the case, there’s a good chance Miller never plays another down as a Bronco. His contract situation could dictate that he moves on after this season.
Denver has a club option on Miller for 2021, when the linebacker is set to earn $18 million and count $22,225,000 against the salary cap. That’s a big chunk of change to commit to a 32-year-old player coming off of a major injury. Given that the Broncos can cut ties and absorb just a $4,225,000 cap hit, the team may be forced to make a tough decision.
That would be unfortunate. It would be tough to see No. 58 in any other uniform. He’s become synonymous with the orange and blue. He deserves a better send-off.
In a history that has spanned more than six decades, while featuring some great players, Von Miller is the greatest defensive player to ever wear a Broncos uniform.
