The Buffalo Bills have agreed to sign former Miami Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb to a three-year contract worth up $52.5 million, league sources told The Athletic.
The development ended a long silence that had Bills fans nervous as bigger stars such as Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby went (or stayed) elsewhere. Chubb, 29, became available when the Dolphins released him Wednesday, allowing the Bills to shore up a position of need.
Buffalo has struggled to cobble together a game-changing pass rush for years, dedicating first- and second-round draft choices on the likes of Gregory Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham to less-than-desired effect, and committing big free-agent dollars to veterans such as Von Miller, Leonard Floyd and Joey Bosa.
Chubb, the No. 5 pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2018 draft, will turn 30 in June. He missed the entire 2024 season while recovering from a torn ACL, but he returned last year to play every game and lead the Dolphins with 8.5 sacks. Chubb recorded 20 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and a recovery.
How he fits
Chubb is not the A-list pass rusher sources said the Bills earnestly pursued in Hendrickson, but football boss Brandon Beane needed not only to replace potential departures in Bosa (five sacks last year) and Epenesa (2.5 sacks), but also upgrade a longstanding weakness.
We don’t yet know exactly how first-time NFL defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will deploy his defense, but he has stressed the intent to attack. Based on Buffalo’s assistant coaching hires and personnel moves so far this offseason, Leonhard’s scheme appears to feature a 3-4 base, which is what Chubb played in Denver and Miami.
Chubb’s age and injury history are concerns, but his production after a rebuilt knee was encouraging. TruMedia analytics tracked Chubb for a 13.0 percent pressure rate, equal to his career average, although down from his career high of 15.7 percent in 2023.
2026 roster impact
Bosa and Epenesa remain unsigned. If they don’t return to Buffalo, then Chubb becomes the most productive member of the roster, statistically speaking. Rousseau led the Bills with seven sacks last year but has not evolved into the game-changer the front office and fans crave. Rousseau has 32 sacks over his five NFL seasons and has never posted more than eight in a single season. He has just four sacks in 11 postseason games.
Versatile defensive lineman Michael Hoecht looked like an impact player in his two games last season. After serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs, he collected two sacks and a forced fumble before tearing an Achilles tendon in Week 9. On former Bills center Eric Wood’s podcast recently, Hoecht said he expects to be back for the start of the season.
Chubb, a two-time Pro Bowler, owns a pair of double-digit sack campaigns, amassing 12 as a rookie and 11 three years ago while also leading the NFL with six forced fumbles. He’s appeared in one postseason game, and it was with the Dolphins in Orchard Park. Chubb strip-sacked Josh Allen in the fourth quarter of a game the Bills struggled to win 34-31.
Tim Graham’s takeaway
Buffalo has chased game-altering edge rushers since Beane and Sean McDermott arrived in 2017. Over those nine years, Jerry Hughes still ranks fourth with 22 sacks, and he last played for Buffalo in 2021. Rousseau’s 32 sacks lead them all, and that’s pretty sad. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver is second with 30, Epenesa third with 24.
Jordan Phillips, who started 20 games while yo-yoing on and off the roster, is sixth with 14.5 sacks. The Bills have been so desperate to pressure QBs that they brought back Phillips and Shaq Lawson last year — each for a third time.
In 2022, Miller looked like a fine free-agent addition before injuries and off-field issues pockmarked his tenure. Bosa showed fearsome flashes last year but was embarrassed against the run, most notably in the playoffs.
So excuse me for not being sold on Beane’s evaluation of Chubb’s projected impact. Beane gets credit for pursuing Hendrickson, yet it’s another headliner the front office failed to land. Beane acknowledged he tried to acquire receiver help at last year’s trade deadline but couldn’t get the job done. The Bills have been “in the mix” for various other players who went elsewhere.
Chubb will look like a consolation prize unless and until he’s able to stay healthy and make a difference next fall and winter.
