Chubb Discusses Long Road Back

Exactly when Bradley Chubb will play in a game for the Miami Dolphins and exactly how much he can help remains uncertain, but just being back at practice represents a major step for the veteran pass rusher.

Chubb addressed the media Thursday for the first time since he sustained a serious knee injury in the Dolphins' Week 17 loss against the Baltimore Ravens last year's New Year's Eve and he detailed the severity of the injury and the process of getting back to the point he has reached.

Chubb is in his second week of practice after being designated to return from PUP and there has been no indication yet whether the Dolphins will bring him onto the 53-man roster for the key Week 15 game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, the following week against the San Francisco 49ers or maybe not at all this season.

But until a decision is made, Chubb will keep plugging away with the idea of getting back into the lineup.

First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver hasn't had the chance to see Chubb in a game yet, and he's not about to predict what having the two-time Pro Bowl selection could do for the defense.

“That’s difficult, and truthfully, I don’t really know that answer in terms of what to expect from him," Weaver said Thursday. "The one thing I do know is he’s put in the work. When he’s out there on the field, he certainly doesn’t look out of place. For him, it’s just a matter of confidence and when the doctors and all the medical people say he’s ready, he’ll be out there on the field.”

To be real, whatever the Dolphins can get from Chubb would be a bonus considering he hasn't played in almost a year and expecting him to have the same kind of burst early on he's always had after tearing his ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon is unfair.

When he does get activated, we can expect his snap count to be very modest at first to allow him to get back into form. His mere presence, though, could have a positive impact on the defense even if he's not sacking the quarterback on a regular basis.

THE CHUBB CONVERSATION

Here are excerpts from Chubb's media session Thursday:

On the journey back: "It’s been an up-and-down journey for sure, you know what I mean? Starting from getting the surgery and that being almost a five-hour surgery at the time, and coming back home and having my mom and dad there with me, my girlfriend there with me helping me out throughout the whole process. Seeing from when I was there, to where I am now, man, it’s been nothing short of a blessing. So just being able to keep chopping wood, carrying water each and every day, continue to have a positive mind-set as I approach the building every day, it wasn’t easy but at the end of the day, man, it got me to where I am right now and continue to move forward.”

On the injury: "When I first did it, (Head Athletic Trainer) Kyle (Johnston) kind of told me, he was like, ‘Yeah, this is a completely different ball game,’ because it was my ACL, my (patellar tendon) and my meniscus that ended up tearing. It was, like I said, a five-hour surgery, so it was a long process. It’s kind of hard to compare it to the first (knee injury) with the first one just being a partial tear, but like I said, I know the work I had to put in for the first one and I did the same thing this time. Changed up some things in terms of how I approached it because of all the stuff that went on, but the mindset was the same.”

On being close to being game-ready: “It’s been feeling good. I’m just taking it day by day. I’m not trying to look big picture right now, just trying to see how I feel each and every day, how it responds to each and every different obstacle that’s thrown at me right now. So far, it’s been good, so hopefully it trends in the right direction.”

On what would it mean to be able to take the field this season: “It would mean a lot because like I said, being on that field the last time screaming and holding my leg and doing all this, it would be cool to get back on there and have a new memory of my last football snap. But at the end of the day, I’m just thankful to be where I’m at right now in this process. I know it’s going to be a continued uphill climb, but the past 11 months have prepped me for that, so I’m excited just about where I am.”

On what he learned about himself during this process: “I learned how resilient I am, that nobody can take my shine. I had to dive into myself a lot because I was tired of doing the same things, feeling the same things. As this process goes on, you kind of get caught in a cycle. So I was trying to break that comfortability of that cycle and it helped me grow as a person, as a player, as a man of God and like I said, I’m thankful for the opportunity to do that.”