"That to me is nuts!" - NFL analyst insists Bills made a blunder by handing Von Miller a big contract
Giving linebacker Von Miller a large contract was a major mistake by the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL analyst John Middlekauff.
On his "3 and Out" podcast, Middlekauff stated it’s nuts that Buffalo gave the Super Bowl 50 MVP a big contract, saying that it’s too much money:
"So, I just think the Bills is all their chips in the middle of the table. And they're doing whatever it takes. It's not a six-year deal, but it is basically a three-year deal. Do I think they overpaid for him? F**k yeah, I do. But I understand where they're coming from."
He added:
"Would I've done it? No, but I do get it. I do get it. Diggs, I have no problem with the Diggs contract but the Von Miller contract: who are you bidding against those numbers? You couldn't have got him for 35. Guaranteed they gave him $51 million guaranteed.
Middlekauff concluded:
"That to me is nuts. And I think Von Miller is one of the greatest players of all time in his position. But that much money, man.”
The Bills gave Miller a six-year, $120 million-dollar contract, including a $18,525,000 signing bonus, $51,435,000 guaranteed, and an average yearly salary of $20 million.
In the upcoming 2022 season, he’ll get a base salary of $1,120,000, a signing bonus of $18,525,000, a roster bonus of $225,000 and a workout bonus of $100,000. He will be carrying a cap hit of $5,150,000 and a dead cap value of $45 million.
I asked Von Miller if he finally feels comfortable after his first practice with the #Bills.
The future Hall of Famer says it's still setting in that he chose BUFFALO over LA.
This is worth 2:18 of your day #BillsMafia https://t.co/I4xHpnGi8y
How did Von Miller perform in the 2021 season?
Last season, the 2011 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year played with the Denver Broncos before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in November 2021. He had nine-and-a-half sacks in total, with four-and-a-half coming for the Broncos.
Two of those sacks came in Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals as Los Angeles won the game by a score of 23 – 20.
Von Miller said he battled w/the choice to leave LA, even saying on the plane to sign his contract w/Buffalo he thought about telling them he was going back to LA. But then it felt right: “I genuinely felt wanted by everybody. I’m ready to win a Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills.”
As a three-time All-Pro, the Bills will be his third NFL team as he enters his 11th season in the NFL in 2022. We’ll see how he fares with Buffalo as the season gets closer.