It’s a new dawn on the Miami Dolphins‘ horizon. New coaching staff, and with Tua Tagovailoa‘s future up in the air, an overhaul looks imminent. That also means doing heavy roster moves, like parting ways with one of the most impactful players on defense.
According to Jordan Schultz, the Dolphins are releasing 2x Pro Bowler pass rusher Bradley Chubb. Now, he will become a very sought free agent. Chubb had a $31.2 million cap number for the next NFL season. With this move, the Dolphins will save $7.3 million in cap space and will take $23.8 million in dead money.
Tua Tagovailoa‘s future is not precisely certain, another quarterback could be on the team’s radar. However, the team does have a clear intention on renewing the defense. Hence, the Chubb move makes sense, despite the big blow on the team’s cap space.
Chubb will be a prominent free agent
Chubb had 8.5 sacks last season at 29 years old after missing the 2024 season with a torn ACL. The former Bronco also had 20 QB hits and forced two fumbles in 2025 as well. Given the fact that pass rushers are a high-level need in plenty of teams, Chubb will likely get plenty of suitors.
Bradley Chubb #2 of the Miami Dolphins
When healthy, or at least when playing more than 14 games in a season, Chubb has always been north of 7.5 sacks. He is very productive and can lineup in either side of the line of scrimmage. That versatility is very strong. The only asterisk next to Chubb’s name is his injury history.
Jeff Hafley will need to look for a pass rusher
The Dolphins now released their best pass rusher. After Chubb’s 8.5 sacks, the next best player getting to the QB was defensive tackle Zach Sieler, who only had 5.5 sacks in 2025. Hence, it’s almost imperative for the new head coach to be on the lookout for a top-tier pass rusher.
Hafley just had Micah Parsons on the Green Bay Packers, so he knows that a good pass rusher makes a real impact on the game. With that in mind, this is just one of the many things the Dolphins need to do to go back to NFL relevancy.
