Miami Dolphins use of Bradley Chubb is a bit…odd

Nov 6, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) warms up before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) warms up before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Miami Dolphins made a big move at the NFL trade deadline bringing in edge rushing linebacker Bradley Chubb but do they regret it?

Miami needed to make a move, at least in their minds because they were facing stiff playoff competition down the stretch and they were not exactly lighting it up getting pressure on the quarterbacks consistently.

Now, are we sure this was a great move for the Dolphins?

Since playing his first game with the Dolphins on November 6th, Chubb has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles. He has made an impact in putting pressure on the quarterback. He has nine hits on QBs since coming to Miami and has forced one fumble.

Statistically, Chubb isn’t horrible by any means but here is the bigger question, why is not on the field more often? Especially with Emmanuel Ogbah out for the year.

Prior to coming to Miami, Chubb played in more than 71% of the defensive snaps in Denver every game this year. His five games since joining Miami?

  1. 73%
  2. 66%
  3. 62%
  4. 57%
  5. 62%

For a player that got a massive contract, you would think he would be on the field more, especially in the last two games where the Dolphins’ defense was on the field for more than 70 snaps in each of those two.

While this could be a case of the Dolphins simply protecting their investment, it seems odd to me that he would not at least be taking as many snaps as he did in Denver. It’s not like the Dolphins are suddenly getting to opposing QBs. In fact, both Brock Purdy and Justin Herbert did well avoiding the Dolphins’ pass rushers most of the time.

We could argue that his play is based on the situation but over the last two games, teams have been throwing a considerable amount against the Dolphins, and even if Miami views him as a pass rusher and not a coverage linebacker, fine, but you don’t take one of your best off the field on passing downs.

There are a lot of things that Josh Boyer does that makes us scratch our heads and the use of Chubb is just another one of them. I suspect that his addition will pay off well for the Dolphins at some point and it isn’t like they are not getting production from him but we should be wondering about his usage. The Dolphins gave up a lot of money and draft capital for a player who is playing less than he was with his former team.