Von Miller Almost Had Rivals Tom Brady and Peyton Manning Tattooed To Show Respect

Von Miller, once teammate of Peyton Manning and rival of Tom Brady, nearly had the two legend’s numbers tattooed on his body because he want to pay tribute to two of the game’s greatest. Miller’s greatest years came with the Denver Broncos, and more specifically, he was a big part of the defenses that became a force of nature while Peyton Manning was on the team. He wanted Manning’s tattoo for this reason, but he had also always been a Brady fan, so he wanted to do both. In the end, the pain of the tattoo was too much.

Miller’s presence on the Denver Broncos cannot be understated. He was one of the greatest edge rushers for them, and it showed in Manning’s final year in the NFL. Manning wasn’t playing all too well that year, and the Broncos really leaned on their defense to carry them. In the Super Bowl, Miller’s performance of 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 6 tackles, and 2 hurries won him Super Bowl MVP. In that run, Von Miller had to beat Tom Brady in the Conference Championship, giving more reason as to why he’d want to have both their tattoos.

Von Miller Recaps How He Nearly Tattooed Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

The current Bills star has several tattoos, and they all carry different meanings. Tattoos of Manning and Brady would have surely been the same.

However, in the end, it was too much for Miller. He wanted to tattoo Manning’s 18 with the Broncos font while he was going to put up Brady’s 12 on his ankle. At the last minute, Miller decided to go back on his stance, claiming that tattoos hurt. Here’s the entire story as per his podcast, The Von Cast:

“I came close to getting Tom Brady and Peyton Manning tattooed. They’re my two all-time favorite quarterbacks, even though the tattoos weren’t going to say ‘Tom Brady’ or ‘Peyton Manning.'”

“I’ve been a Brady fan forever, but I’ve played with Peyton Manning. I was able to see Peyton up close and personal. I was able to see what made him great. I was able to experience and witness his greatness up close. The way he took care of his teammates and the way he led, it has a huge impact on me and my career and how I lead today and how I interact with my teammates.”

“I love Tom Brady, but I witnessed Peyton Manning. So I was going to get Peyton’s number 18 with the Broncos font. Then I was going to get the Patriots’ 12 on my ankle, but at the last minute I decided to change it. You know, tattoos hurt. I’m going to find another space for it,” Miller explained to Mike Evans.

Here’s the exact clip:

And here’s the entire podcast:

Miller has outlasted Manning and Brady and continues to compete

It’s crazy to think of how long Miller has been around in the league. He witnessed the peak of Peyton Manning, got to play alongside him, and in the process was part of Tom Brady’s peak.

The Patriots-Broncos matchups were a treat to watch, and while the attention was always on Manning vs. Brady, it was more of Miller and the Broncos’ defense vs. Brady and vice versa.

Now, Miller continues to expand his career. He’s once more on a powerhouse in the AFC with the Buffalo Bills, and he once more has a great quarterback in Josh Allen. Now that he’s outlasted both Manning and Brady, perhaps he can add another trophy to his showroom.