Ryan Kerrigan remembers training alongside Von Miller when they were preparing for the NFL Scouting Combine. He described it as "mini 'Welcome to the NFL' moment," because he and Miller as well as Nate Solder and Jake Locker -- all eventual first-round picks -- were pushing each other to get better.

Now, Miller refers to his former peer as "Coach," which Kerrigan, the Washington Commanders' assistant linebackers coach and pass-rush specialist, admits is a little weird sometimes.

"But at the same time, what's impressive to me is that...he comes in like a guy that still wants to learn for a guy that has that many sacks and has been as productive as he has."

The Commanders needed a player who could provide more juice to their pass rush in 2025. So, they signed Miller, who is the active leader in sacks, on the first day of camp, but they got more than someone who believes he can "still roll out the bed at 36 years old with my house shoes on and still rush the passer." They brought in another player-coach on their roster who can provide a wealth of knowledge to Washington's younger pass-rushers.

"He's been great for us in the room, because when he talks, it's like you can hear a pin drop," Kerrigan said.

Aside from looking for a team that can help him win a third Super Bowl, one of Miller's main motivations has been to pass on his experience to a younger group of pass-rushers who grew up watching him with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams. Miller pulls from his own skill set, which helped him record seven double-digit-sack seasons and earn as many All-Pro selections, but he also spent time with players like Aaron Donald, DeMarcus Ware and Elvis Dumervil, all of whom brought their own unique styles to the game.

Miller wants to "pay it forward" by giving what he learned from them back his younger teammates. However, what he pulls from the most is what he didn't do earlier in his career.

"I tell them what I should have been doing," Miller said. "And that could be just different dynamics on the football field or rushing or just coming to work, just your daily process at work. So, I still love working with the young guys and that's something that I'll be able to offer to this team."

Kerrigan said Miller's new teammates are "dialed in" when he speaks in meetings and want to hear what he has to say. It helps that Miller, while not as explosive as he was earlier in his career, has found ways to be productive, similar to other Commanders veterans like Zach Ertz and Bobby Wagner. He recorded six sacks for the Buffalo Bills last season, which would have ranked third on the Commanders' roster.

Miller also still has much of the quickness he possessed when he was a regular Pro Bowl selection. He led the league with a .69 get-off in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats, and had the fifth best pressure rate among edge players with 150 pass-rush attempts.

And Kerrigan said Miller hasn't missed a beat.

"That's what's crazy," Kerrigan said. "Fifteen years, that's a lot of mileage on the body. But you wouldn't know watching him, because he can still get after it and he still pushes himself."

So, when Miller talks, players listen.

"That's one of the things that, really selfishly, makes me feel good to be able to tell somebody some information that they wouldn't normally had before."

In a way, the Commanders' signing of Miller is both a short- and long-term investment. For now, the former is the more important of the two. They believe he gives them a better shot at getting to a Super Bowl in 2025, and there are mutual feelings from Miller himself. "You just can't leave [Buffalo Bills QB] Josh Allen and go anywhere," he said during his press conference, and what he saw from Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was enough to convince him that they are championship contenders.

But Miller's future in Washington isn't guaranteed beyond this year. The Commanders will need to work out how to generate more sacks without him at some point, and it would help if their younger pass-rushers could learn something from the future Hall of Famer.

"I wouldn't say that I just got a magic formula," Miller said. "I've been on some great teams, played with some great quarterbacks, been around some great coaches, so I'm just able to pay all the information that I've learned from all of those guys forward."