The Dallas Cowboys added another major piece to their revamped defense by signing veteran pass rusher Von Miller, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer already has a clear idea of how the future Hall of Famer can make an impact.
Dallas agreed to a one-year deal with Miller after the 37-year old spent the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders. Despite being well into the latter stages of his career, Miller showed he can still get after quarterbacks, recording nine sacks last season.
For Schottenheimer, however, Miller’s value goes beyond his production.
“He understands the game; the football intellect is top tier. The production was really real. Still has first step quickness; he understands angles, has an assortment of moves. He’s not going to play 60 plays a game, but he’s going to get the snaps that he gets and will make us better,” Schottenheimer said of Miller.
That final point could be the key to making Miller’s addition work.
Cowboys don’t need Von Miller to be an every-down player
Dallas isn’t signing Miller expecting him to become the centerpiece of the defense or play nearly every snap. Instead, defensive coordinator Christian Parker has the luxury of inserting Miller into situations where he can be most dangerous.
Miller appeared in all 17 games for Washington last season but started only three. He played 420 defensive snaps, accounting for 37 percent of the Commanders’ defensive workload.
A similar role could make plenty of sense in Dallas.
The Cowboys already have Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeiruaku along with Malachi Lawrence capable of handling work on early downs. That could allow Dallas to preserve Miller for third downs and obvious passing situations, when his first-step quickness and deep collection of pass-rush moves can become especially valuable.
At 37, Miller doesn’t need 60 snaps to change a game. He might only need 20 or 25.
Von Miller gives Dallas another proven pass rusher
The Cowboys spent the offseason rebuilding a defense that needed significant improvement after 2025. Parker took over as defensive coordinator, and Dallas has brought in several new starters as part of the overhaul.
Miller now adds experience and proven pass-rushing production to that group.
The eight-time Pro Bowler enters the 2026 season with 138.5 career sacks, the most among active NFL players. He’s tied with former Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware for 13th on the NFL’s all-time sack list and needs only 3.5 more to move into the top 10.
That experiecne could also benefit some of Dallas’ younger defenders. Miller has spent 14 NFL season studying offensive tackles, protections and quarterbacks. Younger pass rushers such as Ezeiruaku and Lawrence can now learn from one of the best edge defenders of his generation.
The Cowboys simply need Miller to be an effective situational pass rusher who can make quarterbacks uncomfortable when games are on the line.
Based on Schottenheimer’s comments, that’s exactly what Dallas believes it is getting.
