Von Miller has been around for a while. He won a Super Bowl MVP with the Broncos (and Peyton Manning) 10 years ago, and was also with the Rams when they won a Super Bowl after the 2021 season. He's 36 years old.
But pass rushers have been known to be productive even at advanced ages, as Miller himself proves. Last year he averaged about half a sack a game for the Bills, with 6 sacks in 13 contests. There are typically a couple such productive older pass rushers each season.
Since 2000, there have been 39 players aged 35 or older to record 5-plus sacks in a season. Miller was one of three pass rushers to do it just last year, with Cameron Heyward and Calais Campbell also managing it. Table below compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com, with 2024's 5-sack elder statesman in bold.
35-YEAR-OLD PASS RUSHERS, 2000- | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Age | Sk | Tckl | Ast | Total |
2000 | Trace Armstrong | 35 | 16.5 | 24 | 10 | 34 |
2013 | John Abraham | 35 | 11.5 | 31 | 6 | 37 |
2017 | Julius Peppers | 37 | 11.0 | 21 | 12 | 33 |
2017 | Terrell Suggs | 35 | 11.0 | 37 | 12 | 49 |
2017 | Cameron Wake | 35 | 10.5 | 26 | 10 | 36 |
2015 | Julius Peppers | 35 | 10.5 | 25 | 12 | 37 |
2000 | Bruce Smith | 37 | 10.0 | 48 | 9 | 57 |
2007 | Michael Strahan | 36 | 9.0 | 46 | 11 | 57 |
2002 | Bruce Smith | 39 | 9.0 | 37 | 12 | 49 |
2024 | Cameron Heyward | 35 | 8.0 | 35 | 36 | 71 |
2015 | Dwight Freeney | 35 | 8.0 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
2016 | Julius Peppers | 36 | 7.5 | 15 | 8 | 23 |
2018 | Terrell Suggs | 36 | 7.0 | 25 | 9 | 34 |
2011 | Jason Taylor | 37 | 7.0 | 13 | 5 | 18 |
2009 | Jason Taylor | 35 | 7.0 | 33 | 9 | 42 |
2002 | John Randle | 35 | 7.0 | 13 | 2 | 15 |
2001 | Bill Romanowski | 35 | 7.0 | 55 | 14 | 69 |
2023 | Calais Campbell | 37 | 6.5 | 32 | 24 | 56 |
2019 | Terrell Suggs | 37 | 6.5 | 24 | 16 | 40 |
2018 | Lorenzo Alexander | 35 | 6.5 | 55 | 19 | 74 |
2009 | Leonard Little | 35 | 6.5 | 19 | 4 | 23 |
2007 | Bryant Young | 35 | 6.5 | 33 | 5 | 38 |
2024 | Von Miller | 35 | 6.0 | 13 | 4 | 17 |
2018 | Cameron Wake | 36 | 6.0 | 21 | 15 | 36 |
2010 | James Farrior | 35 | 6.0 | 80 | 29 | 109 |
2022 | Calais Campbell | 36 | 5.5 | 18 | 18 | 36 |
2014 | James Harrison | 36 | 5.5 | 29 | 16 | 45 |
2003 | John Randle | 36 | 5.5 | 12 | 5 | 17 |
2000 | Reggie White | 39 | 5.5 | 15 | 1 | 16 |
2024 | Calais Campbell | 38 | 5.0 | 35 | 17 | 52 |
2018 | Julius Peppers | 38 | 5.0 | 14 | 8 | 22 |
2018 | Kyle Williams | 35 | 5.0 | 22 | 13 | 35 |
2016 | James Harrison | 38 | 5.0 | 39 | 14 | 53 |
2016 | Robert Mathis | 35 | 5.0 | 15 | 5 | 20 |
2015 | James Harrison | 37 | 5.0 | 27 | 13 | 40 |
2014 | Justin Smith | 35 | 5.0 | 28 | 15 | 43 |
2010 | Jason Taylor | 36 | 5.0 | 25 | 11 | 36 |
2003 | Bruce Smith | 40 | 5.0 | 17 | 5 | 22 |
2001 | Bruce Smith | 38 | 5.0 | 31 | 11 | 42 |
The Bills, apparently, are not interested in bringing Miller back, even with the lure that he could flash his Super Bowl rings around the locker room to remind them what the mission is. But someone will, and I won't be betting against him delivering another 6-8 sacks and showing up on this list again.
--Andy Richardson