The 2025 season was supposed to be a banner year for Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson. Instead, it was a step back filled with disappointment. With Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb on the field last year, Robinson didn't make much of an impact. It was less after Phillips was traded.
This year, Robinson has to get back to the second half of his rookie season, where he started to dominate off the edge. That second half was good enough to get his name mentioned in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
2026 will be critical for the edge rusher. The Dolphins will have to decide on his fifth-year option before the 2027 season begins, but if he struggles, his name could be tossed around at the trade deadline.
Miami Dolphins could trade Chop Robinson before the 2027 season
Trading Robinson would be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency move, but it can't be summarily swatted away. It would seem that Robinson wouldn't draw much interest if he were playing poorly, but that isn't how the NFL works.
Edge-needy teams will look at Robinson as a player caught up in Miami's coaching and regime changes. They will look at his draft slot and see a guy who has the tools to be great, but wasn't developed properly. That's not entirely false.
Teams can't find good edge rushers often, and many will see it as an opportunity to land a first-round talent who still has at least two seasons before needing a new contract. That too provides value.
For Miami, it would give them a chance to gain another draft pick in 2027. They would get more time this season to see what Trey Moore can do and to address the position based on their own scouting.
Robinson isn't a bad player by any means, but the Dolphins are not going to keep players from the previous staff simply because of their draft pedigree. Robinson has to perform and take forward steps both on and off the field. He has to buy into the system, the coaching, and the culture.
Will he get traded? That's a question that will be answered at the trade deadline or after the season, but his on-field play in 2026 will go a long way toward giving fans hints about whether his future will be in Miami.