The Washington Commanders got almost no consistency from their edge-rushing options during the 2025 campaign. Von Miller, emerging as the team's sack leader, was a damning indictment of how things unfolded.
That is no slight on Miller. The Commanders signed him relatively late in the preseason, expecting him to be a situational presence. Injuries and subpar production from others thrust him into a bigger role than expected, and the future Pro Football Hall of Famer managed nine sacks and 19 pressures from 37 percent of the team's defensive snaps.
Miller is firmly at the tail-end of his prolific career. He's outlined his desire to carry on playing and wants to be re-signed by Washington. Wanting and getting are two very different things, and it would be a bombshell of epic proportions if general manager Adam Peters gave him another short-term commitment.
Von Miller projected to leave the Commanders for Las Vegas in free agency
If Miller gets to take his chances elsewhere, there might be one of two clubs willing to make him an offer. The edge force will probably be looking for a playoff challenger, but Greg Auman from FOX Sports thought some sentimental attachment could see the former Texas A&M standout land on the Las Vegas Raiders when push comes to shove.
"[Von] Miller, 36, managed to lead Washington with nine sacks in 2025 while playing rotational snaps on an affordable $6 million deal. Can he do it again for Year 16? Of course, he can. He's the NFL's active career sack leader with 138.5, a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he's playing for a fraction of what he cost a few years ago. He played in his heyday for Gary Kubiak in Denver, so could he finish his career with Klint in Las Vegas?"Grag Auman
The Raiders are embarking on a new era. Klint Kubiak is the head coach, and they plan to use the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. They have a talent deficiency almost everywhere, and there is growing speculation about defensive end Maxx Crosby wanting out as the team embarks on a full-scale rebuild.
That makes it difficult to envisage a scenario in which Miller considers this a viable option to end his NFL career. He'll probably want to join a team with weapons already in place and ready to contend right now. The Raiders are nowhere near that, so this does seem a little far-fetched unless nobody else throws their hat into the ring.
Miller is projected to get $5.84 million on another one-year deal in free agency. But whether it's the Raiders or someone else, the Commanders need to get younger and more explosive on the defensive edge if they want new coordinator Daronte Jones' scheme to deliver the results they need.
Nothing else will suffice.