OXNARD, Calif. — Von Miller signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night for one year, $5.5 million, and a maximum value of $7.5 million. A year earlier he had picked Washington over Seattle. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
Miller had two contract offers in free agency last year. He took the Commanders and played 17 games, starting three, and put up 9.0 sacks.
“We talked to a lot of teams. I talked to a lot of players and coaches as well. For me, last year I had two offers, right? I had two contract offers from two totally different teams. It was the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks,” Miller said. “And for me at that moment in time, the best choice I felt for me was to go to the Washington Commanders. They had Jayden Daniels. I always been a fan of DQ, and all those guys they had over there. And I made that choice and I made the decision. I wouldn’t say that it was a mistake or anything like that. That was the decision that I made. And then you go through the season and you look over and the Seattle Seahawks win it.”
Washington drafted Jayden Daniels second overall in 2024, and he won Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. Dan Quinn is entering his third year as head coach. Daniels got into seven games in 2025 and threw for 1,262 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Seattle finished 14-3 and won the NFC West. The Seahawks beat San Francisco in the divisional round, then the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. They beat New England 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 for the second title in franchise history.
Von Miller And Dak Prescott In Las Vegas
Miller stayed on the market deep into the summer. He said publicly in early July that he wanted to play in Dallas. On Aug. 10 he posted an image of himself in Cowboys gear alongside Super Bowl imagery.
“So this year I really wanted to be intentional with the decision that I made and what team that I went to. And it’s crazy because I ran into Dak in Vegas probably like a month ago. He was sitting in the high limit gambling,” Miller continued. “I just sat down with Dak, and we just started gambling together and talking. And I was like, hey man, it’s about time, Dak. It’s about time. You got to break through one of these years. I think this year you’ll be able to do it. Like, you got everybody to do it.”
The conversation Miller describes with Dak Prescott took place around the middle of July, by his own accounting. The Cowboys reported to Oxnard on July 28.
Prescott has started for Dallas since 2016. He has not reached a conference championship game, and the Cowboys have missed the playoffs the past two seasons.
Why Von Miller Chose The Dallas Cowboys
Dallas moved on Miller after camp opened. The team announced the agreement Sunday night, and Miller confirmed it on Instagram with a photoshopped image of himself in a No. 40 Cowboys uniform.
“And that was, I didn’t have any inkling on being a Dallas Cowboy. That just happened naturally. And then the Cowboys reached out, and I was just like, bro, this is a sign. This is a sign for me,” Miller explained. “And we worked on it, talked to some other teams.”
Miller has 138.5 career sacks, the most among active players. He has eight Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro selections, two Super Bowl rings, and the Most Valuable Player award from Super Bowl 50.
He is 37 and entering his 15th NFL season. Dallas is his fifth franchise.
The Cowboys break camp Friday and return to North Texas. Miller is expected to practice at The Star for the first time on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The club hasn’t committed to that date.
Dallas plays at the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. CT. The Cowboys host the New Orleans Saints on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium. The regular season opens Sept. 13 at the New York Giants at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. Washington comes to AT&T Stadium in Week 2 on Sept. 20 at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.
