It appears that the big game of chicken between the Denver Broncos and star linebacker Von Miller will soon come to an end.
Multiple outlets reported Thursday afternoon that the Broncos have offered Miller a six-year deal with $70 million in overall guarantees. Miller is expected to accept the deal Friday, per Mike Klis of 9 News and Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network.
The deal would make Miller the second-highest paid player in the NFL in terms of guaranteed money; only Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, who got got an NFL record $87 million in guarantees, would rank above Miller.
The Philadelphia Eagles' defensive lineman Fletcher Cox got $63 million guaranteed earlier this summer — the most ever for a defensive player at the time — but Miller's deal, should he agree to it, well eclipses that mark.
Miller has recorded 60 sacks in five seasons since Denver took him No. 2 overall in 2011. He is fresh off a dominating postseason performance that helped the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Miller, just the third linebacker to win Super Bowl MVP honors, harassed Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton into fumbling twice.
The deadline for teams and players to come to terms on multi-year contracts is 2 p.m. Friday. In the unlikely event that the Broncos and Miller don't cross the finish line on this reported proposal, Miller would play on the one-year franchise tender for about $14 million, which he has said multiple times he refuses to do.
