Buffalo Bills superstar linebacker Von Miller wants to play with his “brother” Odell Beckham Jr. and win another Super Bowl, pass former teammate and mentor DeMarcus Ware on the all-time sacks list and become an NFL general manager when he retires.
“Beane and John Lynch are the two guys who inspired me to want to become a GM,” said Miller. “That’s one of my goals … I want to take the John Lynch route, because he was on T.V. for a little while, and then he became a GM. I was around a lot of GMs from John Elway to George Paton and here with Beane. … Hopefully, one day I’m the GM of the Buffalo Bills.”
Miller sat down with “The Pivot Podcast” prior to playing in the game of the year — a 33-30 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings — for an in-depth conversation to discuss a wide-range of topics related to the Super Bowl-favorites.
Miller addresses what final pieces the Bills may need to actually reach the Super Bowl for the first time since notoriously enduring four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the ’90s. Miller also describes his recruitment of star free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and divulges the origin of their “brotherhood”.
“OBJ, that’s my brother. I don’t think blood can make us any closer,” said Miller, who was teammates with Beckham on the 2022 Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams. “We met in the 2014 Pro Bowl in Arizona and we just connected. We were able to see stuff from each other’s point of view. He had a lot of people trying to pull him this way and that way, and I was just trying to give him real advice. Over time, we earned each other’s trust. We went on tour with Drake in 2017, we stayed together overseas for about 40 nights, and we just built off of that.”
The episode also sees Miller reveal that he’s connected Beckham with Bills general manager Brandon Beane as part of the recruiting process for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver.
“I wouldn’t try to get him to come here if we didn’t have a chance,” said Miller. “I take a look at this team and I see a spot for ‘OBJ’. Not just on the field, but off the field. I see him having success, and not just team success … I’ve been recruiting him. I’ve gave him the spiel. I’ve had him on the phone with the general manager. Beane sees it the same way that I see it. The ball is in ‘OBJ’s court. If he wants to come here, it’s because he wants to come here. He’s going to be happy because he made that choice for himself, and if he doesn’t, it’s all love. I’ll support him the same way I would if he’s here.”
Miller’s Bills are currently one of the favorites to win this year’s Super Bowl, which would make three for Miller, who also reached the pinnacle of the sport last year in Los Angeles and in 2016 with the Denver Broncos.
Miller credits the flexibility of Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, in addition to the significant abilities and demeanor of Josh Allen, for the team’s lofty status. Although Allen’s caught some flak for his red zone failures in the three losses the Bills have suffered so far this season, the quarterback has a personally crafted offense built to highlight his exceptional athleticism and arm strength.
“Josh Allen … he’s like the Will Ferrell of quarterbacks. He doesn’t take anything seriously, and he’s always got a prank or a joke. Everything is a game for him, and I think the type of person that he is has worn off on Coach McDermott and he’s been able to evolve with the type of team that he has now … Coach McDermott and [GM] Brandon Beane do a great job of identifying what type of team we have here and getting the best out of what we are. It’s working for us for sure.”
The Buffalo Bills took an L to an 8-1 Minnesota Vikings team that is also trying to establish itself as a Super Bowl contender. The preseason champs are currently locked in a dogfight with two wins separating the last-place New England Patriots (5-4) from the first place Miami Dolphins (7-3). The Bills and Jets are tied at 6-3.
Although Miller admits to significant pressure behind the expectation to deliver Buffalo their first Super Bowl championship, he believes that his daily mindset allows him to remain steady despite the ups and downs that come with chasing a ring.
“The pressure that is put on this team to win is no greater than the pressure I put on myself,” said Miller. “I want to be the Super Bowl whisperer. I want to be able to say that I can create a Super Bowl team. That’s the kind of pressure that I put on myself. I do everything in my power to have success, so I’m really at peace no matter what.”
Despite now embracing the challenge that comes with playing in Buffalo, Miller confesses to initial hesitation before he signed his $120M free agent contract this past summer. The Texas native admitted that if the Dallas Cowboys offered the right cash he would have signed. But he also pondered the benefits of going to a small market.
“It took me a little bit to make the decision to come to Buffalo, especially coming from L.A.,” said Miller. “But once I signed the contract, I’m all the way in. When you step on that football field, it’s all the same. The infrastructure of the team is set up so that they really make you feel at home. What they lack in some of the flashy stuff, they make up for with genuine people who really care about you and who really want to see you win. They want a championship, and this community is truly hungry for a Super Bowl.”
The conversation also includes talk of Miller’s legacy, as the three-time All-Pro already sits 20th on the all-time sacks list with 122.5. While he remains in striking distance of the all-time leader, Buffalo Bills legend Bruce Smith and his 200, it’s the mark set by one of his former teammates in Denver that currently motivates his sack attack.
“I need to reach 139 sacks to pass Demarcus Ware,” said Miller, who spent three seasons as Ware’s teammate. “That’s the guy I’ve got circled. That’s my big brother. He was so instrumental in me becoming the person that I am today. If I can get to 139 and pass DeMarcus, I would feel a real sense of accomplishments.”
Miller has a history of accomplishments and he’s also changed the game as far as how business and contracts are conducted in the NFL. What’s next for the football lifer?
