Should Von Miller take a pay cut for Broncos to afford Kirk Cousins?
Feb 8, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: 9:54 am
All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller made waves during Super Bowl week by saying soon-to-be former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins could take the Denver Broncos “over the edge.”
“We need Kirk. I would like to have Kirk. We have great quarterbacks now. Kirk could take us over the edge,” Miller told The Dan Patrick Show.
And with the Kansas City Chiefs shipping Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to Washington last week as well, the prospect of Cousins hitting the free agency market has increased.
And with the highly-sought gunslinger likely to earn a pretty hefty pay day, “Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Mike Pritchard said earlier this week that he thinks Miller should “help out” the Broncos by restructuring his contract.
“Von Miller, you have an incredible salary. You’ve earned it. Now, help us out. Help the franchise out,” Pritchard said on Tuesday. “I think that’s something that not only be explored but should be talked about. It should be discussed.”
According to Spotrac.com, Miller’s six-year deal signed with the Broncos in 2016 is worth $144.1 million with a $17 million signing bonus and $70 million guaranteed.
In 2018, Miller is due to make his highest base salary over the term of his contract — $18.5 million.
“Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mark Schlereth, however, believes Miller owes the Broncos nothing, that the organization got into this mess by waiting until the star pass rusher hit the free agency market after an MVP performance in Super Bowl 50.
“I couldn’t disagree with Pritch more. Von doesn’t owe them squat,” Schlereth said. “One, it’s their own fault. You knew Von was an All-Pro. You knew he was a Pro Bowler. The fact that you let him get to free agency so you had to pay him more than you wanted to is your fault as an organization.
“It’s a mismanagement of one of your players, just like it was when you didn’t go to Demaryius Thomas early. So, that’s on you.”
Schlereth said Miller should be open to renegotiating his contract, but only if he gets all the money he’s guaranteed.
“Ultimately, the Broncos are the ones who screwed that up in the first place by not getting him done early. So, no, Von doesn’t owe them anything,” Schlereth said.
“It’s funny to me that people put that on Von Miller, like it’s Von’s fault.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
