ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After an emotional postgame press conference following the Broncos' 23-3 loss to the Chiefs, Von Miller clarified Thursday that he wants "to be part of the solution" in Denver.
"Everything that I said, that’s how I was feeling," Miller said Thursday. "I think the way it was portrayed after that was different. I didn't want to send a message about me not being here and me not wanting to be part of the solution or anything like that. It was just that I had been feeling a couple things that I had on my chest, and then you mix it in with that tough loss to the Chiefs and it's just a tough day. Everything I said, I said it. I'm always thinking about my message and how it comes across to the fans and stuff. Everything that I said, I meant it, but I didn't want it to come across as me not wanting to be here or me not wanting to be a part of the solution."
Miller, who won division titles in each of his first five seasons and helped the Broncos reach two Super Bowls, said his early success in Denver was "a gift and a curse." The Super Bowl 50 MVP has endured four consecutive playoff-less seasons since the Broncos won their most recent championship.
"I was born in that age, so that's what I know," Miller said. "I don't want to make it seem like I'm not part of the solution, because I definitely want to be part of the solution to get us back to the golden days."
If the Broncos are to return to the playoffs, they may need both Miller and a young core of players that includes Drew Lock, Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Bradley Chubb and other key contributors. Their play over the last few games has Miller optimistic about the general course of the franchise despite a tough loss in Kansas City.
"We are definitely trending forward," Miller said. "In other years, it was just me being optimistic and hoping, but the reality is that we do have a good team [and can] rally around Drew Lock and Courtland Sutton and who knows what types of players we'll [get] in the offseason. We're just one or two players away, one or two plays and one or two games away from being where we need to be."
As the Broncos aim to finish the season with two wins to improve to 7-9 and finish the season on a 4-1 run, Miller said it's important for him to keep playing despite a knee injury that has limited him in recent weeks.
"It's who I am," Miller said. "I could easily say, 'My knee hurts, put me on IR,' or anything like that. I think the message and the type of leader that I try to be in the locker room and in the meeting rooms, I've got to go out there, I've got to find a way to put the pads on and speak to the guys and be out there with the guys. You don't get respect from just coaching the guys and giving advice, you get respect from going out there, playing through injuries and doing the same things that everybody else is doing at a high level."
