Von Miller Says on Instagram He Refuses to Play for Broncos Under Franchise Tag

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller would rather sit out the 2016 NFL season than play under the franchise tag, according to a post he made Thursday on Instagram:

Miller, 27, was designated as the Broncos' franchise player in March. The deal guarantees him $14.1 million for the 2016 season.

Denver and Miller have been engaged in contract talks for more than three months with little sign of resolution. James Palmer of NFL Network reported Miller turned down a deal that would have paid him $114.5 million, the highest total for a defensive player in league history.

Miller's post runs contrary to a recent appearance on Chelsea, the Netflix talk show starring comedian Chelsea Handler. In an interview that ran Wednesday, Miller said he wanted to stay with the only NFL franchise he's known for his entire career and wasn't considering sitting out. 

He continued:

"

I want to be a Bronco forever. I just want the feeling to be the same from the Broncos. ... We still have a month. I just can't see myself with any other team. My boys T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, Kayvon Webster, DeMarcus Ware, all those guys. I built very, very close relationships with those guys, and I would like to continue to build that for the rest of my career.

"

Miller was the No. 2 overall pick in 2011 and has emerged as perhaps the NFL's most fearsome pass-rusher. He has 60 sacks over his five seasons, including 11 in 2015. Denver led the league with 52 sacks as a team last season, and its pass rush spearheaded a Super Bowl-winning effort.

The negotiations between the Broncos and their star linebacker have grown increasingly contentious as the summer has progressed. Miller cropped general manager John Elway out of a photo from the Broncos' trip to the White House last week—an intentional snub, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter.

The center of the issue seems to be guaranteed money. Schefter reported the first two years of the deal Miller rejected guaranteed $39.8 million, with an additional $19 million in the third. The structure of those guarantees is unclear; the third may carry injury-only protection.

"I feel like it was a slap in the face, but at the same time it is what it is. I can only wish the best for the man," Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack said of the guaranteed money Denver reportedly offered, per David Watkins of NBCDFW.com.

The two sides have until July 15 to finalize a long-term contract. If they're unable to come to terms, Miller's only options are to sign his franchise tender or continue sitting out. Miller does not have a defined timetable under which he has to sign the tender. He could do so Friday or at some point during the regular season, though in the latter scenario, he'd likely do so within the time frame to receive accrual time.

In all likelihood, the Broncos and Miller will find an amenable middle ground over the next month. The Broncos need him to shore up a defense that lost a number of contributors this offseason, including Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan, and the phrase "highest-paid defensive player in NFL history" is hard to turn down.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.