Von Miller Talks Broncos, Call of Duty, USAA Salute to Service in B/R Exclusive

Von Miller is ready to take his Call of Duty skills to the next level. 

The Denver Broncos star has had plenty of time to brush up on his gaming while he rehabs from an ankle injury, and he will soon have the opportunity to go head-to-head with military members and veterans as part of the USAA Salute to Service sweepstakes.

"That's all I've been doing over this rehab is playing Call of Duty," Miller told Bleacher Report. "It will be good to play with some of the veterans ... They'll probably be better than me. The pleasure is all on my side, it will be fun to play with those guys and listen to what they say and get their perspective on a game like Warzone."

The chance to play Call of Duty with Miller is one of the "Ultimate Fan Cave" grand prize experiences with NFL players that five lucky military members and veterans will win as part of the sweepstakes.

Entry into the USAA Salute to Service sweepstakes will be open through Nov. 30 on SaluteToService.com.

"I have huge respect for the military, and when I was presented with this opportunity I wanted to jump all over it," Miller said.

Tim Umphrey/Associated Press

Supporting the troops is nothing new for the pass-rusher. In January, he teamed up with USAA and the Veterans of Foreign Wars to send a military veteran to Super Bowl LIV in Miami. He has also been on a USO Tour to visit military members overseas.

The next step in his support for the military is testing those Call of Duty skills he has honed while sidelined with an injury that required surgery.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Sept. 10 that Miller will be "out for several months, likely the season," but the Broncos star is doing what he can to get back on the field this year.

"Just going through the process right now," Miller said. "I just got a cast on, and I'm just going through the process and working as hard as I possibly can to be able to come back this season."

Getting him back would be a massive boost for the Broncos. After all, he is a generational talent and franchise icon who is an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro with seven seasons of double-digit sacks and the Super Bowl 50 MVP from a win over the Carolina Panthers on his resume.

Miller built much of that resume while missing a grand total of one game the last six seasons, so he is in something of an unusual position watching from the sidelines. That hasn't stopped him from serving as a veteran leader while his team battles on the field.

"I just try to be around and continue to project my energy on my teammates," he said. "We worked so hard this whole offseason to get to this point, and it's time to go out there and do it."

Denver dropped the first three games of the season without him, but the losses to the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers, who are both playoff contenders, came by a total of seven points. The team is also coming off its first win of the campaign following the 37-28 victory over the New York Jets in Week 4.

Miller believes the Broncos' toughness will help them build on that win as they continue to bounce back from a slow start.

"We've got a tough team, and we play hard all game no matter who we're playing," Miller said. "I just get goosebumps looking at my teammates go out there and play the way they played ... If we can continue to jell and continue to play the way we know how, it's going to be a good year for us despite the slow start."

Part of that toughness is playing through adversity, and Denver has faced plenty of it.

In addition to Miller, notable players such as Courtland Sutton, Drew Lock, Phillip Lindsay, K.J. Hamler, Noah Fant, Jurrell Casey, Dre'Mont Jones and A.J. Bouye have all dealt with injuries of varying severity this season.

Rather than dwell on the negatives and injuries, Miller highlighted multiple players along the defensive line who will now have an opportunity to establish themselves as contributors after battling just to make the roster:

"We've got a lot of guys who are sitting out, and that sucks. But the beautiful part about it is it gives guys the opportunity to go out there and live their NFL dreams. It's exciting for me. We've got guys like DeShawn [Williams] who has been cut by the Broncos three times, and now he's on the active roster ... We picked up Darius Kilgo and Sylvester Williams, and those guys were released by the Broncos and now we brought them back. I'm just excited for those guys. Injuries suck, but it's the next-man-up mentality. To see these guys get a second chance and a third chance and a fourth chance to go out there and live their dreams is beautiful."

If those players take advantage of their chances and the Broncos gradually get healthier, they can play themselves right back into the AFC playoff picture.

They play just one game against a team that is currently above .500 before Week 13 and, with an expanded postseason field, are just a handful of wins away from being in ideal position before the stretch run.

And that stretch run may just include Miller since the linebacker said he is targeting a return this season.