The Denver Broncos thought they had the NFL’s next elite pass rusher when they drafted North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. This thinking was further reinforced by Chubb’s 12.0 sacks during his rookie year.
Things never panned out for Chubb in Denver, and he was eventually traded to the Miami Dolphins in a blockbuster move midway through the 2022 season. The Dolphins signed him to a 5-year, $110 million contract extension.
Now, Chubb has landed a massive payday — and with a team the Broncos are neck-in-neck with for the top spot in the AFC.
“Dolphins edge Bradley Chubb and the Bills agreed on a 3-year, $43.5M deal with $29M guaranteed,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Wednesday.
Chubb was designated a post-June 1 release and signed with the Bills within the first hour of the new NFL league year opening.
Chubb Swooped Up Quickly by Super Bowl Contender
If the last 2 years have been any indication, the Broncos and Bills will be on a collision course in 2026.
The last 2 years, the Bills and Broncos have swapped ending each other’s seasons. The Bills beat the Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Round following the 2024 season, and the Broncos beat the Bills in an overtime thriller in the AFC Divisional Round following the 2025 season.
“Sources: The Dolphins and two-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Bradley Chubb are parting ways, making the 29-year-old a free agent,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on February 16. “In his two full seasons with the Dolphins (2023 & 2025), Chubb has 20 sacks, 8 FF, and 117 tackles. He should have a nice market … Chubb had 8.5 sacks this past season and was a top trade candidate before the deadline, with three teams actively trying to trade for him before Miami opted to keep him. Now he’s a free agent and should have heavy interest.”
Chubb really has been almost dominant over his last 2 full seasons — 11.0 sacks in 2023 and 8.5 sacks in 2025 sandwiched by missing all of the 2024 season with a torn ACL.
“Bradley Chubb had a $31.2M cap number for 2026. Miami will save $7.3M in cap space while taking on $23.8M in dead money by moving on from Chubb, who had 8.5 sacks last year,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account.
Chubb Likely Looking to Join Legit Contender
Through his first 8 seasons, Chubb’s career has largely been defined by losing and injuries. In his first 5 seasons with the Broncos, Chubb never made the playoffs.
In his first 2 seasons with the Dolphins, they lost in the AFC Wild Card round both years, but missed the playoffs each of the last 2 seasons and are headed toward a major rebuild. Which meant Chubb will almost certainly be looking for a legitimate contender to join in 2026, and found one.
The Dolphins have a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach in former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
“First big move and cut for Jon-Eric Sullivan as Dolphins GM,” Dolphins reporter David Furones wrote on X in February.
Former Broncos 1st Round Pick Lands $43.5 Million Contract With AFC Contender