Despite a disappointing season, future Hall of Famer Von Miller says he wants to return to the Commanders in 2026, citing a desire to “run it back” with Dan Quinn.

ASHBURN, Va. — One thing is for certain. When future Hall of Famer Von Miller joined the Washington Commanders this offseason, he likely didn’t see what has unfolded this year coming.

Viewed as a mercenary who joined the Commanders to step onto the court in key moments and drain threes, an NBA Steph Curry analogy that Miller used in training camp, there also weren’t a lot of expectations for the veteran to feel a sense of loyalty to the team, either. 

That’s what made his recent comments about wanting to come back to Washington in 2026, which he doubled down on to WUSA9’s John Doran in a recent one-on-one conversation, a surprise to so many.

Regardless of the surprise, Miller told Doran, “I just think we need a rain check. There are a lot of things that didn’t go our way this year, starting with injuries. I’m a huge believer in [head coach Dan Quinn] and his coaching style and this whole coaching staff… I just think another shot at–another shot on goal would be just what we need.”


“I Just Think We Need a Rain Check”

“Running it back next year” is Miller’s preferred approach to this upcoming offseason, something he already knew before the Commanders even put the finishing touches on a disappointing 2025.

That idea of running it back, however, begins to look different the closer Miller gets to 40. The veteran admits he isn’t the same player he was in Year 2, of course, but with his six sacks through 14 games so far this season, he still knows that he can do what he does best, better than plenty of others playing the game today.

“It’s still things that I’m pretty good at, and it’s still ways that I can be effective to have six sacks at 36 years old. It’s something that I’m proud of,” Miller said. “I definitely think I got another year in the tank.”

In fact, throughout the long season we’ve witnessed with Washington this season, we’ve never seen Miller without a positive approach to what’s to come. That positivity is something he applies to his profession, and his side-hustle in, you guessed it, the poultry business.


A “Country Club” for Chickens

He opened his business, Greener Pastures Chicken, nine years ago after studying at Texas A&M. He calls his business a “country club for chickens,” focusing on humane, pasture-raised standards.

“At Greener Pasture Chicken, they live a country club lifestyle that just has one bad day,” Miller shared. “Happy chickens taste better. You know me, I’m biased, [but] I think we got the best birds in the world.”

It’s a business that was born from a college class he thought would be an easy A, but turned into so much more thanks to a professor who insisted on teaching Miller the many layers and benefits of what he’s been doing now for nearly a decade.

And he’s had a lot of success doing it, just as he has on the football field, starting with NFL sack No. 1 that came in his second career game, against quarterback Andy Dalton.

Just as he’s leaned on the wise words of that professor to make his way in chicken, Miller had mentors in the sack and football businesses as well—Guys like DeMarcus Ware, Brian Dawkins, Peyton Manning, and Tim Tebow. Men who passed down knowledge and inspiration to anyone who thirsted for knowledge.

“95 percent of the stuff that I say is words that they’ve told me… It’s the lessons that I’ve learned from those guys that I pay forward to these young guys.”


Mentorship and GM Ambitions

And it isn’t just young guys. Receiver Terry McLaurin recently told WUSA9 that even he has learned valuable lessons from Miller, despite being a veteran in the business himself.

So, where is it all going? If Miller has his way, he’s headed back to the Commanders for at least one more season. After that, who knows, he may become the next rising star in the Washington front office.

After once shadowing Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane to investigate his interest in front office life, Miller says, “That is definitely something that I want to pursue. I love everything about football… The infrastructure of teams to be able to build a team, to be able to get the right pieces in the facility, is something that I’m passionate about.”

He’s a man of many passions. Hitting quarterbacks, raising chickens, and dreams of building a championship roster are all among the many layers to one of the game’s best sack artists of all time. This all but guarantees that no matter what stage of his life you come across him in, you haven’t seen the last or even the best of what Miller has to offer.