OXNARD, Calif. — Von Miller took his first practice reps as a Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, four days after agreeing to terms and two days after signing the contract.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the work was limited and that Miller has been building toward it since he arrived.
“He’ll work a little bit today. We’ve been ramping him up, getting him some stuff,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, it won’t be a lot of reps. He’s in a ramp-up protocol.”
Miller spent the walk-through with outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe going over pass rush technique, and Schottenheimer said the Cowboys have built a specific plan for him.
“I liked what I saw walking off the little talk-through we did,” Schottenheimer explained. “He was with Easy, talking about some different pass rush techniques and things like that. And there’s a very specific plan for him that we’re in the very early stages of.”
Miller has not played since Jan. 4, the final game of Washington’s season. He agreed to terms Sunday on a one-year deal worth $5.5 million with a maximum value of $7.5 million and signed Tuesday in Oxnard.
Schottenheimer said earlier this week that Dallas would not rush him. Miller did not participate in Tuesday’s joint practice against the New Orleans Saints.
What Von Miller Brings To The Rotation
Miller is 37 and entering his 15th NFL season, his fifth team. He had nine sacks in 17 games for the Washington Commanders last season, his most since 2021, while playing 36.9% of the defensive snaps.
His 138.5 career sacks are the most among active players and tie him for ninth all time since the statistic became official in 1982. Denver drafted him second overall in 2011 out of Texas A&M, and he was the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
Miller has eight Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro nods, and four second-team selections. He was the Super Bowl 50 MVP.
He grew up in DeSoto and played high school football there, less than an hour from The Star.
A Room Full Of First-Round Picks
Dallas already had three first-round picks at outside linebacker before Miller signed. Rashan Gary arrived this offseason, Malachi Lawrence was a 2026 first-round selection, and Donovan Ezeiruaku was a second-round pick in 2025 who moved into the rotation as a rookie.
James Houston, Sam Williams, Marist Liufau, and Tyrus Wheat are also in the group. Houston finished second on the team in sacks last season with 5.5.
The Cowboys ranked 26th in the NFL in sack rate in 2025 and allowed more passing yards than any other team.
Dallas plays at the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. The Cowboys hold open practices at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on Aug. 25 and Aug. 26 and close the preseason against the Saints at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m. CT.
