Von Miller Is Finally Home: DeMarcus Ware Says Cowboys Move Is 'All He Wanted'

OXNARD, Calif. — The moment the Dallas Cowboys and Von Miller agreed to a one-year deal, DeMarcus Ware's phone lit up. FaceTime. And the grin on Miller's face said everything.

'This is all he wanted,' Ware said.

A Dream Decades in the Making

Ware knows the feeling. Back when Miller was chasing quarterbacks in Denver and Ware was anchoring the Cowboys' defense, the two shared a moment after a 2013 Broncos-Cowboys game. Miller made it crystal clear: playing for Dallas would be 'so cool.'

Fast forward to 2026. The 37-year-old edge rusher who grew up in DeSoto, starred at Texas A&M and still idolized the star on the helmet is finally home. According to Ware, the Cowboys were the only team with serious interest. Miller had been hinting at this for months — posting pics in a Cowboys jersey, working out near The Star, and telling Ware, 'I think I'm going to the Dallas Cowboys.'

More Than a Veteran Presence

This isn't just nostalgia. Miller brings a winner's pedigree — Super Bowl 50 with Denver and Ware, Super Bowl LVI with the Rams. And Ware believes that championship DNA will infect Dallas' young pass rushers, guys like Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence.

'It's different when you got somebody sitting in the seat with you that's going to get padded up with you, learning the same things as you and performing,' Ware said. 'Those guys looked up to you their whole careers, but now I get to play with him? It's a totally different mindset.'

Ware sees this as a full-circle mentorship moment. He helped Miller when he joined Denver in 2014. Now Miller can do the same for the Cowboys' next wave.

'It's the same mentality as when I came to Denver,' Ware said. 'I know I'm not going to get 20 sacks, but I do know he can make all the guys around him better. You're still probably going to get 8-11 sacks out of this guy. I would sign up for that any day.'

Miller put up nine sacks last season in Washington — still a problem. His 138.5 career sacks lead all active players and sit tied with Ware for 13th all time. There's a poetic twist: Miller might pass Ware's mark while wearing the same star Ware once wore.

'I don't think the Dallas Cowboys know how big of an opportunity this is for them,' Ware said. 'For him, putting that jersey on, this is like icing on the cake. Right now this dude is like a kid in the candy store.'