EXCLUSIVE: "Buffalo beat us in some areas" - Rams GM reveals how Bills beat them to signing Von Miller
Earlier this year, Von Miller was put in a tough spot. With his deal concluded, he needed to decide where he was going to play out the rest of his career. Many knew the linebacker had interest in the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills. However, he ultimately decided to leave sunny Los Angeles for snowy Buffalo.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Ian Van Roy, General Manager Les Snead revealed that both the Rams' and Bills' offers were competitive in terms of salary. The way he understands it, the linebacker ultimately chose to go to Buffalo to chase a unique career accomplishment. Here's how he put it:
"You know, at the end of the day, I think the money was really close. And in, you know, both contracts were very good, you know, Buffalo beat us in some areas, and we beat Buffalo in some areas."
I reported in the spring that Sean McVay and Les Snead are both scheduled to enter the 2022 reg season w/ contract extensions. McVay deferred on exact timeline for announcement of both deals, but my expectation is they’re still on track for training camp as Kevin Demoff implied.
He went on to express that he hated losing the pass rusher:
"So, at the end of the day, I can't truly [answer] that. But I do think Von has mentioned that may be trying to win a third Super Bowl with a third team. I don't know if anybody's ever done that. So that was maybe something that influenced him, but hate to see him go."
Von Miller is here for the first time in pads. https://t.co/xwNbGnOOWX
Von Miller's tumultuous 2020s
Outside of Tom Brady, some believe Von Miller has had the second-most up-and-down run since the calendar hit 2020. According to Pro Football Reference, it started in early 2020 when the star pass rusher became one of the first players in the NFL to contract COVID-19.
While he was able to escape the sickness, he wasn't able to escape a season-ending ankle injury.
The injury sidelined him for the entire 2020 season. In 2021, with new general manager George Paton now with the team, there was pressure for the team to perform. However, with a sluggish record near the midpoint of the season, the Broncos became sellers. Miller was traded to the Los Angeles Rams.
The pass rusher joined one of the hottest teams in the league and in many minds, pushed the team over the top as Super Bowl favorites. Of course, the team eventually did win the Super Bowl in the pass rusher's contract year, setting him up well for his next deal.
The next deal came with the Buffalo Bills and according to Spotrac, Miller could earn up to $120 million before it ends after the 2027 season.
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