Von Miller Says T.J. Ward Trade Rumors Have 'To Be Fake News'

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller said Wednesday that he hopes rumors of safety T.J. Ward being on the trade block are "fake news."      

"I thought it was fake news," Miller told reporters. "I mean I didn't think—it's serious like that? It can't be that serious. T.J.'s been a great player for us, but it's the National Football League. You always get blindsided by stuff. T.J.'s been great for us, so I don’t see any reason to [trade]. Mr. Elway and the guys upstairs they push this organization in a great direction, and I'm going to go continue to make championship moves for us. I don't really—it has to be fake news; I really can't believe in that too much.”

The Broncos have reportedly had discussions about moving Ward, who made the Pro Bowl three of the last four years. Ward had 87 combined tackles and one interception in 2016.

Denver has depth at safety, so considering a move makes sense. Justin Simmons has had a strong preseason playing with the first team with Ward out of the lineup, and rookie Jamal Carter has a real shot at making the roster. 

Ward is also heading into the final year of his contract, which pays him $4.5 million in base salary this season. The Broncos might prefer moving on now and handing the starting job to Simmons, rather than losing Ward for nothing in the offseason.

"He’s a good, young player," coach Vance Joseph said Tuesday of Simmons, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. "We’ve played well on defense. He is definitely a good young player."

That said, Joseph said he would be "surprised" if Ward gets traded or released. While Joseph does not have final say on the 53-man roster, odds are he'd be in the loop if one of his defensive starters was on the chopping block.