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- Mar 20, 2019
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Things don’t look good for Von Miller to play this season, and coach Vic Fangio acknowledged that, but the Broncos aren’t ready to count out their star pass rusher yet.
“There’s a chance of [Miller’s season being over],” Fangio said. “It’s too early to say for sure, but he’s definitely out for awhile.”
Miller is seeking a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson after injuring a tendon in his ankle. He likely will need surgery, which Fangio said would happen “sooner rather than later” if the second opinion concurs with the initial diagnosis.
Fangio said Miller would go on injured reserve at some point regardless. The new injured reserve rules allow for players to come off the list after 21 days, though it will be late in the season, if at all, that Miller gets back on the field.
Miller, who had eight sacks last season, certainly won’t get to have the bounce back season he openly talked about as his goal for 2020.
“Von has had a hell of an offseason,” Fangio said. “I didn’t see him obviously in the offeason, but I talked to him a number of times in the offseason. When you don’t see something with your own eyes, you’re hesitant to believe or buy in, but I could just tell by the way we were talking and the things he was doing that he had a mindset that he was going to come out and have a hell of a season. When we finally did get back together, it was true. So I’m sad that he’s not going to be able to have the season he worked for, because it would have fun to watch for me, for him, for you, for everybody. So on a personal basis, as it relates to Von, everybody’s sad and disappointed for him. As it relates to our team, yeah, we’re disappointed. Anytime you lose anybody you’re disappointed. But we will move on, and we will make it work.”
Miller was injured at the end of Tuesday’s practice, perhaps ending his season before it begins.
“It was just a normal play,” Fangio said. “He just rushed around the edge. He never hit the ground. Never looked bad. If you looked at the video, you would think nothing happened, but it did.”
The Broncos now look forward, hoping Bradley Chubb can return from the ACL that knocked him out last season. He did not practice last week after discomfort in his knee during a Aug. 29 practice. They have Malik Reed and Jeremiah Attaochu behind Miller at the other outside linebacker spot.
“We’ll move forward, never forgetting Von, obviously, and hoping that he returns at some point this year,” Fangio said. “The good thing about his injury is once it’s healed it’s healed. It’s not one of those where he’ll have lingering affects.”