Von Miller’s history with the Vikings

If Miller wanted out of Denver, it’s possible the Vikings may be one of his preferred landing spots. The future Hall of Famer has several ties to the team, including some recent praise of a Vikings’ tackle and appreciation for the fans.

During a Broncos-Vikings scrimmage, Miller did the SKOL chant. How many occasions do visiting players publicly celebrate another franchise’s culture? While some may see that as a coincidence, his appreciation for the Vikings doesn’t end there.

From those scrimmages, Miller also expressed his respect for Vikings’ right tackle Brian O’Neill. Miller called O’Neill “one of the best right tackles in the league”.

Miller is also a big fan of the Vikings’ starting quarterback, frequently praising Kirk Cousins. When Cousins was a free agent, Miller publicly recruited the signal-caller to join Denver. Specifically, Miller even said if he could play with any quarterback, it would be the Vikings’ leader.

A year later when the Broncos were preparing to take on the Vikings, Miller doubled down on his comments, admitting he had a “whole campaign” to try and get him to Denver, calling Cousins a “great quarterback”.

Considering what he’s gone through in Denver, it’s unlikely Miller’s feelings toward Cousins have changed too much. Moreso, Miller probably just wants to get back to winning.

A need for speed off the edge

Minnesota struggled in a lot of areas last season, but perhaps none were bigger than their lack of a pass rush. Vikings’ general manager Rick Spielman has brought in several players to help boost the competition on the defensive line, but a starter opposite of Danielle Hunter has yet to emerge.