Could Von Miller Be the Answer to Detroit’s Pass-Rush Problem?
The Lions might have a golden opportunity staring them in the face—and his name is Von Miller.
The 36-year-old pass-rush legend was cut by the Bills earlier this offseason and is still on the market. He recently confirmed he’s not done yet and plans to play in 2025. He also shut down any idea of reuniting with the Broncos, which means he’s up for grabs—and yes, Detroit is one of the top landing spots being floated.
CBS Sports’ John Breech listed four teams that could be a fit for Miller: the Lions, Eagles, Commanders, and Texans. Detroit feels like a natural match, especially when you look at their 2025 schedule. They’ll be facing a murderers’ row of quarterbacks—Mahomes, Burrow, Lamar, Jalen Hurts, Stafford, Dak… you name it.
If you’re going up against QBs like that, you’d better have more than just Aidan Hutchinson bringing the heat. Last season, Hutchinson went down with a brutal leg injury, and the Lions’ pass rush fell off a cliff. He still led the team in sacks (7.5!), despite missing most of the year. After him? A guy who wasn’t even on the roster all season came in second with four.
So far, Detroit hasn’t done much to fix the problem. They brought back Marcus Davenport (hoping for a breakout that still hasn’t come), took a flyer on a Day 3 rookie (Ahmed Hassanein), and cut Za’Darius Smith—their big midseason acquisition last year—with barely an explanation.
Von Miller isn’t the superstar he once was, but he’s still productive in limited snaps. He had six sacks for Buffalo last year in a rotational role and ranked among the top 15 in pass-rush win rate. He was still grading out well across the board, per PFF.
The Lions have been floated as a Miller destination all offseason. Now that he’s made it official he’s playing, it’s time to wonder—will Detroit make a move? Or will they let another NFC team scoop him up and make them regret it?
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