Miller is arguably the greatest wide receiver in Memphis football history. Many consider him the best Memphis Tiger of the 2010s in any sport. And he achieved those honors despite starting as a walk-on at Memphis after receiving zero college offers.
In his junior and senior seasons, Miller recorded 1,434 and 1,462 receiving yards respectively. He also caught 14 and 18 touchdowns respectively during that stretch.
His success in college led to him being touted as one of the top wideouts in the 2018 NFL Draft. Some even compared Miller to NFL All-Pro Antonio Brown due to their similar size, route-running prowess and elite hands. For context, Miller is 5-foot-11 and 199 pounds while Brown is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
Miller was selected by the Bears 51st overall in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He ended up breaking out in 2019 after a mediocre rookie season, recording 52 catches, 656 yards and 2 touchdowns.
What Went Wrong in Miller’s Career?
His success in Chicago looked like it would continue in 2020 after Miller caught the game-winning touchdown for his team in Weeks 1 and 3 against the Lions and Falcons respectively. However, he didn’t catch another touchdown for the rest of the year. Miller finished the regular season with 49 receptions and 485 yards.
In the Bears’ 2020 NFL Wild Card game against New Orleans, Miller was ejected after throwing a punch at former Saints safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. This proved to be Miller’s final game with Chicago, which released him due to his regression in both catching and route-running, as well as general work ethic concerns.
After a brief stint with the Texans, Miller signed with the Steelers in 2021. He played just one game for Pittsburgh that year, however, in which he caught a pass for two yards.
Miller hasn’t played a snap in the NFL since.
He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in August 2022, but still earned a one-year extension from Pittsburgh in January 2023 after impressing on its practice squad in 2021. Unfortunately, though, that extension didn’t even last him six months.
Where Does Miller Go From Here?
Miller is now a free agent for the third time in his career. And with a lack of production or good health at 28-years-old, the optics of him earning another contract look quite glim.
Obviously, Miller’s NFL career hasn’t gone how anyone thought or hoped it would. With his elite collegiate production and high-level skillset, many thought that Miller would at least be a relevant starter in the league by now.
Instead, Miller is yet another example of why talent or success in college doesn’t matter in the NFL if one doesn’t have the other intangibles to go with it. But that’s not nearly as bad as it sounds.
Miller has built a beautiful life and family, still made millions of dollars playing pro-football and, no matter what, will forever be a legend at the University of Memphis.
If this is the end of his NFL career, Miller has nothing to be ashamed of.
Senior Editor for Tiger Blueprint. See more of my work on Bluff City Media, where I’m the Memphis basketball beat writer, the Men in Hoodies podcast on Apple and Spotify and on “Sports with Roman Cleary” live on University of Memphis Radio—The ROAR Fridays from 3-4 p.m. during the fall and spring.
