Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, released a video on Wednesday suggesting that Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller could be a “shell” of his former self this season.
“Is this the beginning of the end for Von Miller?” one of PFF’s show hosts asked before going on to point out that Miller had a low PFF grade last season. “He’s now 31 years old, that is a massive decline in terms of overall PFF grade. Still generated pressure, but not quality pressure the way he used to in the past.”
Miller won’t turn 31 until later this month. He “only” totaled eight sacks last year — his lowest total since 2013 — but Miller was the team’s only star edge defender last season after Bradley Chubb went down with an ACL injury. He might not be the pass rusher he once was, but Miller still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
The other PFF host noted in the video that the team will lose their top two defensive backs — Chris Harris and Justin Simmons — during free agency. That’s not accurate. Denver will use its one-year franchise tag on Simmons if they can’t reach a multi-year contract extension with him.
Chubb clearly wasn’t pleased with PFF’s video, responding by calling them losers.
When Miller and Chubb were both healthy in 2018, they combined to record 26.5 sacks. Chubb missed all but four games last season and the two outside linebackers combined to record just nine sacks. If both players stay healthy, that number should increase significantly this fall.
