Grading the Bradley Chubb extension: Dolphins secure edge rusher

The Dolphins moved quickly to long Bradley Chubb up for the long haul. Did Miami get good value on the edge rusher’s contract extension?

The moment the Miami Dolphins elected to give up a first-round pick to acquire Bradley Chubb it was obvious they wanted to keep him in Miami for an extended period of time. That’s why no one in the NFL should have been surprised to see news of Chubb’s contract extension with Miami come down just days after his trade was announced.

The most Chubb can make via his shiny new extension would be $111.25 million over the next five seasons. A fair estimate of what he is going to make is $22 million per year. That figure would make the former No. 5 overall pick the sixth-highest-paid edge rusher in the game.

When Chubb is at his best he is one of the best handful of pass-rushers in the entire league. The bet the Dolphins are making here is that he can stay healthy. He played in all 16 regular season games during his rookie campaign with the Broncos but his availability has been mixed ever since. The Dolphins should be concerned with the fact that Chubb missed the majority of both the 2019 and 2021 seasons due to injury.

Chubb’s injury history takes away any real upside Miami has with this contract extension. They are paying Chubb as if he’s going to perform as one of the top-10 edge rushers in the league over the life of this deal. That will require the former NC State standout to stay on the field more often than he’s done during his first four-plus seasons as a pro.

The good news for the Dolphins is that they’ve locked Chubb up for a reasonable price. Salaries for edge rushers aren’t showing any sign of decline and they should only rise during the next five seasons. There’s a reasonable chance Miami looks back on this contract as a bargain signing by the time Chubb reaches the middle of his extension.

Add it all up and this is a fair deal for both parties. Chubb locks in big money despite his checkered injury past. The Dolphins achieve some cost certainty while betting on his injury luck improving. Both parties should be equally pleased and uncomfortable with this extension.

Dolphins grade: C

Brandon Chubb grade: B