One of the most sought-after free agents in the league nearly landed on America's Team this offseason.
Von Miller told Dan Pompei of The Athletic recently that when deciding whether to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 or continue his career elsewhere, he almost signed with the Dallas Cowboys before money got in the way.
Miller explained that Dallas offered him the same contract they had agreed to with Randy Gregory before the longtime defensive end reneged and signed with the Denver Broncos, Miller's former team, instead. The free-agent pass rusher and DeSoto, Texas, native balked at the Cowboys' five-year, $70 million offer.
"I told them I was ready to come to the Cowboys," Miller told Pompei. "I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it's Dallas. But I wouldn't take that much less."
NFL Network's Jane Slater reported at the time that Miller had a very strong interest in playing for the Cowboys, and Dallas was doing its "due diligence" on the star sacker.
Miller eventually signed with the Buffalo Bills for six years, $120 million with $51 million in guarantees. The $17.5 million per year average over the first four seasons on the Bills' deal is sizably more than the $14 million per average on the Cowboys' offer, explaining Miller's frustration with Dallas. The former Super Bowl MVP, 33, said recently he intends to play out the duration of his six-year deal in Buffalo.
"This place chose me," Miller told Pompei. "Buffalo just chose me. And it's been trying to choose me all of these years."
The Cowboys, meanwhile, rebounded in free agency from Miller's crossing by signing former first-round pass rusher Dante Fowler, who had spent the last four seasons with the Rams and Atlanta Falcons. Fowler is slated to make just $3 million on his one-year contract, per Over The Cap. Dallas also drafted edge rusher Sam Williams in the second round out of Ole Miss.
