The Denver Broncos didn't really have much choice when it came to Super Bowl 50 MVP, Von Miller. Miller, coming off the final year of his rookie deal and a season in which he collected 35 tackles, 11.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and a game-changing strip sack of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton that helped the Broncs emerge from the 2015 NFL season with the Lombardi Trophy, was always going to have a major ask on his next deal.
The question became - would GM John Elway and the Broncos be willing to meet it? Miller has now finished four of his five professional seasons with double-digit sacks, with his magical 2012 season, in which he corralled quarterbacks 18.5 times, being the best of the bunch. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on your perspective - Miller's continued elite play means he's probably asking for the sun, moon, stars and maybe even the universe in contract talks.
It's no surprise then that Elway and Co. decided to slap Miller with the exclusive rights franchise tag on Tuesday. As a result, no other team can attempt to sign Miller away from Denver and should the two sides fail to come to terms on a long-term contract ahead of the July 15 deadline, Miller will account for a massive chunk of the Broncos salary cap space in 2016. He'll now make either 120 percent of the linebacker's franchise tag or the average of the top five players at his position, whichever is higher. The NFLPA confirmed Monday that the franchise tag for linebackers is $14.1 million, while the 120 percent is $16.92 million.
Elway is said to be committed to getting a deal done with Miller, but it won't come cheap, or easy. Miller knows he holds all the cards and the Broncos need to work with him in order to get his 2016 cap hit down or convince him that a long-term deal is his best bet.
Miller and his reps are also likely well aware that the Broncos would much prefer to have not used the tag on him, considering they also have players like quarterback Brock Osweiler and defensive lineman Malik Jackson set to hit the free agent market as well.
In the end, Miller will be back with the Broncos, but keeping him has created a bevy of questions that Elway doesn't seem to have immediate answers to.
