Broncos star pass rusher Von Miller will not allow his work ethic to be spoiled by an insanely lucrative contract.
"The Von Miller on the football field makes all of that other stuff go ... so I never really got too far away from working out or grinding," Miller said, via ESPN.com. "I worked out the same as I would during the season and the offseason, I just had a lot of stuff in between to do. I'm in shape. I feel totally confident in my ability to get back on the football field."
The Broncos certainly hope so, and did their best to present a completely unified front on Wednesday as they rang in a new football season together in Colorado. General manager John Elway said that the two were on the same page, but met to lay out something that has become evident to Miller over the past few weeks: With the largest non-quarterback contract ever in hands, the expectations rise.
"All of a sudden standards and expectations are going to go way up," Elway said. "It's going to be there, and he's aware of them."
While Miller doesn't seem to be feeling the pressure, it is the one downside to signing a mega-deal. Even though teams pay you for what you've done in the past, Miller will be looked at to put up 2012-style numbers (18.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 55 tackles) on a yearly basis. Even if it's not realistic, fans will be expecting their team's investment to pay dividends.