Broncos cornerback believes Von Miller is serious about sitting out the 2016 season
Throughout the entire contract negotiating process, Von Miller has said repeatedly that he will sit out the 2016 season if a long-term deal isn't struck by Friday's deadline. There are plenty of people who don't believe him because of the amount of money he'd be losing by doing so, but he sounds adamant on fixing the NFL's franchise tag issue.
One person who does believe Miller is someone close to him: Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. During his appearance on NFL Network's "Total Access" on Tuesday, Harris discussed the situation, further cementing the idea that Miller could sit out this season.
"I believe him," Harris said. "You've got to take his word for it. It would be hard for me to sit out, missing out on $14 million, but I think Von is serious in what he's saying. I think he truly, this whole time just talking to him, he hates the franchise tag. I definitely think he won't sign it."
The $14 million that Harris is referring to is the $14.1 million Miller would make by playing 2016 under the franchise tag. It's a nice pay day, of course, but it's not one that will pay him beyond this season. That's the problem he has with it. There's no long-term security.
This is a problem many players have with the franchise tag, which is why negotiations leading up to July 15 are often so difficult. No player wants to play with a one-year deal, even if it does pay him well.
Yet, despite believing Miller will miss the 2016 season, Harris does believe the two sides will strike a deal.
"I expect Von to be signed Thursday night, Friday morning at the latest," Harris said. "I think everybody in the Broncos' organization knows how crucial he is to our defense and the type of player that he is, even the person that he's become. He had some obstacles he had to overcome early in his career but I think he's overcame those and I think he's ready to lead now."
Only time will tell whether a deal is signed, but one thing's for sure: It's going to be a lucrative one if they do come to an agreement. The Broncos can't afford to lose their Super Bowl MVP, and it may cause them to lose the locker room, too. If they won't pay the player that got them a Super Bowl, who will they pay? That may be the thought some players have if this ends poorly.
