Cam Newton, left, and Von Miller were drafted No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in 2011. (Chris Trotman, Getty Images)
On paper, it’s the perfect rivalry, a throwback to 2011 when Cam Newton was selected first by the Panthers, and Von Miller was taken second by the Broncos. A freakishly athletic quarterback vs. a freakishly athletic pass rusher. The star of the league’s top scoring offense vs. the star of the league’s top-ranked defense.
Problem is, it’s not a rivalry, Miller said. Miller is a fan of Newton more than anything.
“If I played quarterback, I could see it,” Miller said. “But I like Cam Newton. That s one of my favorite quarterbacks. Peyton (Manning) is obviously my favorite quarterback, but other than that, it s Cam. I don t think there s another quarterback that s ever played the game the way he does, especially the way his personality is on the field. I m just a big fan of everything that he has going for him. He s a huge role model. If he played defense, he probably would ve gotten $220 million dollars because he can probably rush the passer and drop back and do safety and all that stuff, too. I m a big fan. It s not really the No. 1 vs. No. 2 that the media tries to play out to be. He s a great quarterback. We ve got a great opportunity going against him.”
