Tuesday Insider: Good Day, Good Start for Miller

Sep 15, 2026 at 12:20 PM

Jaguars Media Correspondent

JACKSONVILLE – Ventrell Miller has waited for this moment.

Now that it's here, he's embracing it.

The fourth-year linebacker made his first career Week 1 start in the Jaguars’ season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns this past Sunday, and he certainly made a statement in the process.

"It was a good day," Miller said in the locker room post-game.

A good day indeed. Miller had started 11 career games before Sunday, including nine in 2024 and two last season in relief of an injured Devin Lloyd. But this was different. This was Miller being recognized from the beginning of the season, with the Jaguars trusting him to make the plays demanded out of a starting linebacker.

Miller excelled throughout Sunday's 34-10 victory. He led the Jaguars with nine tackles, while also recording a sack, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble on Browns wide receiver K.C. Concepcion in the first half that led to a Jaguars touchdown on the following drive.

"He played well on defense, for sure," Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said Monday. "I thought he was active, played physical with his hands. He has done a phenomenal job, I think even dating back to last year when he got in there, of ball disruption. He had another punchout yesterday."

Miller recorded a forced fumble in 2024 and then two more last season, making Sunday's takeaway his forced fourth fumble in the last three seasons. Miller last season was the only player in the NFL to play fewer than 250 defensive snaps (205) and record at least one interception and a defensive forced fumble.

"The ball is oxygen," Miller said. "We always want to take the ball away, so just being cognizant of that. Even when you're running to the ball, always be looking for the ball and be ready to try to get it out."

Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen following Sunday's game predicted that Miller would lead the NFL in "punchouts" this season.

"We trust Ventrell," Hines-Allen said. "I think it was definitely a grind for him knowing the expectations that was set on him, but for him just to play his game, get comfortable in the system, communicate, run fast, be physical, which he already is and once he starts to understand the scheme of everything and lining up and just knowing where the ball was going to be, we knew what type of play we were going to get from him.

"To see him make physical tackles, tackle after tackle, being in coverage, making plays on the ball, that's what he does."

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None of which means Miller and the Jaguars are where they want to be yet, with the Jaguars (1-0) playing the Denver Broncos (0-1) at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., Sunday.

"I can always come out and correct more things," Miller said. "Proving the doubters wrong for me personally. You know, they say, can we still be the same? But like I said, continue to show up and continue to get better and make plays and help my team."

Either way, Sunday proved a promising start in an expanded role – with Lloyd having departed as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason.

"I'm always confident in myself, knowing what I could do," Miller said. "Just having a chance to go showcase it, help my team win, do my job, help my team win, feels good."

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Coen on Monday had much to say about Jaguars rookies who made their debuts in Week 1, including sixth-round wide receiver Josh Cameron. A sixth-round selection from Baylor, Cameron caught the first touchdown of his career on a 4-yard pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence at the end of the first quarter. Cameron impressed throughout the offseason and training camp, already earning the trust of the coaching staff and a veteran locker room. "One bite at a time, man," wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said of Cameron. "He shows up, he does everything right every single day. When you're that consistent throughout camp, camp isn't easy, especially for a younger guy. They get a lot of reps, a lot of situations that they probably aren't used to, but even when he made mistakes, he came back, made it right. He's just been making plays consistently and it showed when he got out there." Coen also lauded the performance Sunday of rookies and young players such as safety Caleb Ransaw, tight end Nate Boerkircher and linebacker Branson Combs. "I think they handled the moment the right way," he said. "I don't think it was too big for them."