As it turns out, the one person who helped position Von Miller for a mammoth new contract was ... Von Miller.

And it happened not just from his superb play, but for the bold stand he took at a time when no other player entering the NFL was willing to take it.

Super Bowl MVP Von Miller was the only rookie to join the nine players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL when it threatened a lockout in 2011. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

As a named plaintiff in the 2011 “Brady Case” against the NFL’s lockout of its players when the CBA expired, Miller became the only rookie to step up and attach his name and stature to the case. The case needed to have named plaintiffs representing all three classes of players: veterans under contracts, veterans who were about to be free agents, and incoming rookies.

The issue with all incoming rookies was the new CBA was going to move money from top 10 rookie contracts into veteran contracts, and very few young players were willing to help. Thinking selflessly and in a way that drew some criticism at the time, Miller agreed to become a part of the case. At the time, he knew the system did not initially benefit him personally the way it did the vast majority of players because he was such a high pick, but it will benefit him now. And what once was a controversial decision now will be rewarded.

Miller either will receive the Broncos’ franchise tag or a massive long-term extension, expected to surpass the six-year, $101 million contract that included $52.5 million in guaranteed money that Kansas City gave linebacker Justin Houston last offseason.

The Broncos already have said they would like to get Miller that fat, new long-term deal, and it is likely to get done at some point this offseason. But whenever it does get done, it’s fair to say that no player in the league will deserve it more, not only for what he did this postseason but for what he did back in 2011.