Cowboys Sign 37-Year-Old Von Miller, Targeting August 25 Practice Debut

Q: Will Von Miller's homecoming end with him breaking a legendary Cowboys sack record while fixing their biggest weakness?

Probably not, though he could still help Dallas meaningfully. Miller’s homecoming gives the Cowboys a proven answer to a real need. Dallas badly wanted more pass-rush production after a weak 2025 sack total, and Miller arrives off a surprisingly efficient season in Washington: nine sacks in 17 games on only 420 defensive snaps. That suggests he can still be useful as a rotational rusher, especially in obvious passing situations, while also mentoring a younger edge group in Christian Parker’s new defense. The record part is much less likely. Miller enters 2026 with 138.5 career sacks, tied with DeMarcus Ware for ninth in NFL history. To move past Ware, he needs only half a sack. But if the question is whether he can break a major Cowboys franchise sack mark, that is far more difficult. Ware is Dallas’ all-time sack leader from his years with the club, and Miller is joining on a one-year deal at age 37 while being eased in slowly. Even a productive season would not put a franchise record within realistic reach. Dallas also is not asking him to be a one-man fix. Coach Brian Schottenheimer has stressed a committee approach, and the Cowboys have added Rashan Gary while expecting growth from Donovan Ezeiruaku and others. Miller’s value is more likely to come from depth, situational pressure and leadership than from carrying the pass rush alone. So the most realistic outcome is a useful veteran boost, not a record-chasing season that single-handedly solves Dallas’ biggest weakness.

3 articles · Updated · DallasCowboys.com · Aug 18

Dallas plans to ease Von Miller into camp after agreeing to a one-year 2026 deal, with the pass rusher unlikely to join the Saints joint practice or Thursday’s final Oxnard session.
August 25 is the likely target for Miller’s first Cowboys practice when camp resumes in Frisco, as Brian Schottenheimer said the team will "be smart" with a player who has not taken a snap since Jan. 4.
Miller, 37, still produced nine sacks in 420 defensive reps for Washington last season, including a sack against Philadelphia in his final game.
Dallas is adding the DeSoto native to bolster a pass rush it hopes can help turn Christian Parker’s defense from one of the league’s worst into a contender in 2026.