The Dolphins may have missed out on an opportunity to move into the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC Sunday in a one-sided loss to the Ravens, but they still have plenty left to play for this year, having qualified for the playoffs and remained in contention to win the AFC East.
That’s why it was so disheartening to see a star defender in outside linebacker Bradley Chubb go down with non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game.
The injury occurred during a garbage-time possession late in the team’s decisive loss. With the Ravens’ backups in on offense, Chubb pursued veteran running back Melvin Gordon behind the line of scrimmage.
When Gordon performed a juke move in an attempt to evade Chubb, the veteran defender’s momentum seemed to disagree with his foot placement, sending him to the ground, clutching his right knee. The Dolphins’ sideline immediately rushed to his side and eventually carted him off the field.
It was unfortunately a predictable assumption, but word now is that the Dolphins are fearing a torn ACL for Chubb, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. As is the normal procedure, Chubb will undergo an MRI Monday morning in order to determine the severity of the injury.
If it is indeed an ACL tear, Chubb will obviously out for the remainder of the Dolphins’ season and their playoff run and could also miss the start of the 2024 NFL season.
Chubb was in the middle of what many considered to be a Pro Bowl-worthy season. After failing to reach double-digit sacks in the four seasons since his rookie year, Chubb had already tallied 11.0 sacks in 2023. He paired that with 11 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles, which is a career-high and currently leads the league.
If Chubb is unable to play from here on out, Miami will be heading into the playoffs without their top two pass rushers. The Dolphins defense has operated without third-year outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips after the 24-year-old suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a Week 12 win over the Jets.
Those are two big blows for a team that has thrived with its pass rush, which ranks second in the league in sacks.
Still, part of the team’s success rushing the passer comes from having multiple contributors to their pass rush. With disruptive interior defenders like Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, as well as versatile defenders like Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah, the Dolphins should still be able to generate some pressure in the weeks to come.
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