The Denver Broncos will send linebacker Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for two 2022 draft picks. David Zalubowski/Associated Press
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Von Miller is no longer the face of the franchise in Denver.
The loquacious linebacker is headed West to join Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey with the Los Angeles Rams, according to two people with knowledge of Monday morning’s big trade.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the trade, both people confirmed the deal first reported by ESPN.
The Rams are sending the Broncos second- and third-round picks in the 2022 draft for the perennial Pro Bowler who led Denver to a 24-10 win in Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season, Peyton Manning’s last.
Miller’s trophy case includes his Super Bowl 50 MVP award and 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. He’s an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, seven-time AP All-Pro and a member of the league’s 2010s All-Decade team.
He’s the Broncos’ franchise leader with 110½ sacks in the regular season and has another 6½ in the playoffs.
“ We’re all in,” the Rams (7-1) tweeted along with a meme of actor John Malkovich splashing the pot at the poker table.
And it looks as if the Broncos (4-4) are folding their hand.
With Miller watching from the sideline because of a sprained ankle, the Broncos edged Washington 17-10 Sunday, narrowly avoiding their first winless October since 1967.
But it took two defensive stops in the final minute because the Broncos bungled their last possession following safety Justin Simmons’ seemingly game-sealing end zone interception with 49 seconds left.
In between Teddy Bridgewater inexplicably throwing an incompletion to stop the clock with 32 seconds left and saving Washington a timeout, the Broncos fumbled twice, losing the second one at their 24 with 21 seconds remaining.
That served as a fitting farewell to Miller, who never got back to the playoffs with Denver after leading the Broncos to their Super Bowl 50 triumph following the 2015 season.
TITANS: NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry will have surgery Tuesday morning on his right foot, and Coach Mike Vrabel says the Tennessee Titans are not putting a timeline on when he will return.
Henry had tests Monday to check the severity of the injury after he finished a 34-31 overtime win in Indianapolis. The Titans placed Henry on injured reserve Monday afternoon.
Vrabel said he knows Henry will do everything possible to work himself back to help the Titans (6-2). Vrabel said doctors will put a timeline on Henry’s recovery and possible return but he won’t necessarily listen to that.
The Titans have nine games remaining this season including their bye Dec. 2. The defending AFC South champs hold a three-game lead and the tiebreaker inside their division.
“Whenever that is that’s when it’ll be,” Vrabel said. “I know that he’ll be around our team as soon as he can. I know that’s important to him. I know that’ll be important to our team. We will have to move on. We’ll have to move on unfortunately without him here in the short term and not look back.”
The two-time NFL rushing champ went to the bench early in Sunday’s game. He was shown on TV with his shoe off talking with trainers with 6:03 left in the first quarter before he returned. Henry finished with 28 carries for 68 yards and a 2.4-yard average that was his lowest this season. He played 54 of the 73 offensive snaps.
The 2020 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year did not talk to reporters after the game.
Vrabel said he thought about shutting Henry down Sunday. But he checked with the medical staff and Henry. The coach says he gives Henry a little leeway, believing the two-time Pro Bowl running back has earned the right to help make that decision.
“There was no indication that he would make anything worse,” Vrabel said.
Henry leads the NFL with 937 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He also has a league-high 219 rushes, well ahead of the next leading rusher Joe Mixon of Cincinnati (137). Henry was one off his career high with 18 receptions for 154 yards, and he threw his first TD pass in the regular season last week against the Chiefs.
He is the biggest reason why the Titans currently sit atop the AFC as the No. 1 seed having won four in a row.
“If anybody can I guess come back, it would be Derrick,” Vrabel said, “but not going to put any expectations on any sort of timeline.”
SAINTS: Quarterback Jameis Winston was diagnosed with torn knee ligaments that will end his season, Coach Sean Payton said.
Payton confirmed the extent of the injury, first reported by the NFL Network, following an MRI that showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament and damage to the medial collateral ligament in Winston’s left knee.
Winston was injured early in the second quarter of New Orleans’ 36-27 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday. On the play, Winston was scrambling when he was pulled down from behind by linebacker Devin White, who was penalized for a horse-collar tackle.
Winston’s knee buckled as he went down. He was unable to walk off the field without help and was replaced by Trevor Siemian for the rest of the game.
RAVENS: Starting linebacker Malik Harrison was recovering Monday after being struck by a stray bullet in his left calf at what the team described as a gathering in Cleveland the night before.
The Ravens released a statement saying only that Harrison’s injury is “non-life-threatening.” The 23-year-old was treated at a hospital and has been in touch with team doctors.
It’s not yet known if his injury will affect his playing status.
The Ravens, who lead the AFC North, had their bye last week. They host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
BROWNS: Starting right tackle Jack Conklin will miss “multiple weeks” after dislocating his left elbow in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said he’s not entirely sure whether Conklin will need surgery or have to go on injured reserve, which would mean he would miss a minimum of three games.
Stefanski does expect Conklin to return at some point this season.
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