Thanks to those unusual circumstances, Miller's most recent misstep might be viewed as a second or third violation of the policy. The NFL could have positioned itself to levy an eight- or even a 16-game suspension in this case, but talks began before things got to that stage, once Miller learned, according to one source, that he was "in a little more trouble than expected." Miller was believed to have some leverage early on, due to a breach of confidentiality.