Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller, upset over his contract negotiations, is still expected to the attend the team’s ring ceremony on Sunday night.
According to ESPN.com team sources, Miller plans to attend the event when the Broncos players, coaches, personnel staff and other football support staff receive their rings for the Super Bowl 50 victory.
The ceremony in Denver at Sports Authority Field at Mile High is not open to the public and the Broncos have closed the event to the media.
The Broncos designated Miller with the franchise tag earlier this year. The two sides are not negotiating at this time after the team offered a six-year, $114.5 million deal to the Super Bowl MVP that includes $39.8 million guaranteed over the first two years.
Miller reportedly wants more than $70 million in the first three years of his contract. The two sides have until July 15 to hammer out a multiyear deal.
Without an agreement, Miller would be left to play the 2016 season under a $14.129 million franchise tag. As an exclusive rights free agent, he is not eligible to receive offers or negotiate with other teams.
After the Broncos visited the White House last Monday to celebrate their Super Bowl 50 victory with President Barack Obama, Miller stood for a picture with coach Gary Kubiak, linebacker DeMarcus Ware, retired quarterback Peyton Manning and John Elway, the team’s executive vice president/general manager.
The group photo originally appeared on Ware’s Instagram page and Miller later shared the image on social media with a noticeable difference: Elway was cropped out of the photo — likely sending a message to the team.
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Miller was intentional in his decision to crop out Elway’s image. Elway was on the far right in the original photo taken at the White House.
The 27-year-old Miller finished the 2015 regular season with 11 sacks and helped led the Broncos to the Super Bowl 50 championship by wreaking havoc on defense. He added five sacks and two forced fumbles in the postseason.
–The Houston Texans are pleased so far with new quarterback Brock Osweiler now that OTAs are over and their three-day minicamp gets underway this week.
Osweiler, who left the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, signed with the Texans in March for four years and $72 million.
“So far, he’s been exactly what we’ve expected,” coach Bill O’Brien told John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “He works extremely hard. He’s a very bright guy. He’s a good communicator with his teammates. He’s very hard on himself.
“He’s a fun guy to be around, a fun guy to coach — very competitive on the field. He’s been exactly what we expected to this point. We all know the nature of the deal. We all have to go out and coach well and play well when the season starts. That’s the key. That’s what we’re building toward.”
Osweiler skipped last Monday’s trip by the Broncos to the White House and will not attend the Super Bowl ring ceremony.
“I still have a long way to go,” Osweiler said about his knowledge of O’Brien’s system. “There’s a lot I still have to learn. There’s a lot I still need to rep on the practice field and things we need to talk through.”
–CBS Sports will not bring back former NFL referee Mike Carey as its rules analyst for the 2016 season.
The New York Daily News first reported Saturday that Carey is out after two seasons. The report was later confirmed by other media outlets.
“We have mutually agreed to part ways,” CBS Sports told Sports Illustrated.
According to the Daily News report, it is highly unlikely CBS will look to hire another retired referee to replace Carey, who spent 24 seasons as an official before getting into television.
In Super Bowl 50, Carey wrongly claimed that the Carolina Panthers would win a challenge on an incomplete pass against the Denver Broncos.
After the ruling on the field was upheld and Carolina lost the challenge, CBS did not bring back Carey for the rest of the Super Bowl.
