Commanders linebacker Von Miller still confident in pass rushing

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Eight-time All-Pro linebacker and new Washington Commander Von Miller is 36 years old and hasn’t notched double-digit sacks since 2018. Yet his confidence in his passing ability is unwavering.

“I can still roll out of bed at 36 years old with my shoes on and rush the passer,” Miller said Thursday. “I can do that right when I wake up fresh out of sleep. I love rushing the passer.”

Miller joined a Washington squad in need of pass rushers on a one-year, $6.1 million contract. The Commanders notched 43 sacks last year, 11th-most in the league, but lost their sack leader Dante Fowler Jr. (10.5) in free agency.

Once one of the NFL’s most feared defenders and an every-down player, Miller has evolved into a situational pass rusher; he played only 25.27 percent of Buffalo’s defensive snaps last season.

Washington will especially lean on its younger rotational pass rush pieces, given that they were one of the worst run defenses in the league last season and need defensive ends who can set the edge.

The surefire Hall of Famer has won two Super Bowls — in 2015 with the Denver Broncos and 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams. After three years with a Buffalo Bills squad that couldn’t make it over the hump, he signed with Washington to contend for another.

The Commanders made a surprise trip to the NFC championship game last year, the franchise’s first since 1991. They currently hold the seventh-best Super Bowl odds ahead of next season.

“You can’t just leave Josh Allen for anywhere,” Miller said. “You can’t go from the AFC championship and go anywhere. … This team is all about winning. I’m all about winning. That’s why I’m here is to win.”

–Field Level Media