Why Chubb Wanted to Finish the Job in Miami

Nobody on the Miami Dolphins was more excited for OTAs than edge rusher Bradley Chubb. 

Chubb missed all of last season with an ACL tear he suffered against the Baltimore Ravens in December of 2023. OTAs meant a lot to him since he hadn't taken the field with so few limitations in a while.

“10 out of 10, man,” Chubb said about his excitement level this week. “Being around last year and trying to lead from the background is one thing, but when you’re actually going through the fire with guys and you’re actually putting the blood, the sweat, and the tears in with the guys, it’s a little different. 

“It feels good just to be in the mix, to be around the guys and be able to lead out in front. Just trying to continue to get this thing going, man. We’ve got a lot to prove, not to anybody but to ourselves because we know what we can do this year, so we’re out there on the grass working it right now.”

Chubb and coach Mike McDaniel have said that he’s healthy enough to participate in most on-field activities, marking the end of a long rehab process. Chubb credited not returning at the end of last season and giving his body time to fully heal.

Chubb’s Value to Miami 

It’s great news for the Dolphins, who will need Chubb’s production more than ever in 2025. The team’s secondary is incredibly inexperienced, which will no doubt place more pressure on the team’s pass rush to disrupt opposing quarterbacks. 

Some might have forgotten, but Chubb was on an absolute tear before his injury. He finished the 2023 season with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, easily the most he’s had in a single season. 

Despite Chubb’s importance to the pass rush, it was no guarantee that he’d be back with Miami this season. The team spent the offseason shedding money, and Chubb’s age and injury history potentially put him on the chopping block. 

However, Chubb agreed to take a pay cut in his 2025 base salary from $19.5 million to $3.2 million. His cap number went from more than $28 million to $12.4 million, giving the Dolphins $16 million in cap savings.

It was a lot of money to give up, but it was an easy decision for Chubb. 

“At the end of the day, I could have gotten cut, had to learn a new system, had to move to a different city, and do all this,” Chubb said. “I knew this was the team I wanted to be with. I knew the guys, [and] the leadership I had from the background. I knew that these guys were the guys I wanted to be around to push and to push me.”

“I knew what we could do here in Miami; a lot of doubters this offseason, a lot of talk, a lot of chatter, but I knew what we could do with this team this season. I’m excited to just be here and be able to show out.”

Working With Phillips, Chop 

Chubb undoubtedly is a critical part of what Miami’s defense will try to do this season, but he won’t have to do it on his own. Chop Robinson and Jaelan Phillips will complement the veteran pass rusher.

Robinson is coming off an excellent end to his rookie season, during which he developed into a budding star. Phillips was also putting up impressive numbers before injuries slowed him down, recording 6.5 in eight games in 2023. 

Chubb is excited about what the three of them could accomplish this season. 

“Man, I’ve been smiling ear to ear every time I get a chance to look at the tape,” Chubb said. “From the jump that Chop (Robinson) has made over his growth, guys get 6.0 sacks and get in the Defensive Rookie of the Year [conversations] and they take the foot off the gas, but Chop has put pedal to the metal. 

“And to see ‘JP’ [Jaelan Phillips] attacking his rehab as hard as he has – just the back-to-back injuries he dealt with and his mindset is still, ‘I’m still the best out here. I’m still going to do this and do that.’ So I know that if I’ve got those two guys in my corner, I’m going to be good for life.”

Chubb and Phillips got to spend a lot of time “in each other’s corner” because their rehab from the past few seasons overlapped. 

Phillips has suffered a season-ending injury in two straight seasons, including a torn ACL in Week 4 of last year. Like Chubb, Phillips’ rehab process seems to have gone well, as he’s been participating in the team’s offseason program. 

“All of his Achilles rehab, we were in there getting after it, and his ACL one kind of came on the tail end of my rehab,” Chubb said. “We were in there a lot, man, getting after it, pushing each other, keeping each other’s spirits up. 

“We all know we’re hard workers, but it’s just about that mental and making sure that mental is right each and every day to attack the day. That’s what we did for each other, so it was good.”

Ultimately, Chubb believes there is no ceiling on what the pass rush can accomplish this season. While he’s expected to say that, it’s hard to argue that a healthy trio of Chubb, Phillips, and Robinson wouldn’t be a problem for opposing offenses.

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