Dolphins’ Chubb (knee) will not play this season

MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb will not be activated when his 21-day window to return expires Wednesday, meaning he will miss the entire 2024 season.

Chubb tore the ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon in his right knee on December 31, 2023 and has not played since. He began this season on the physically unable to perform list, but returned to practice earlier this month. As his activation deadline approached,

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said both Chubb and the team agreed that he wasn’t ready to contribute at the level to which he’s accustomed.

The team expects Chubb back in 2025.

“He had been very patient in the process, very open-minded and had growth as the process went,” McDaniel said. “But ultimately, we all decided that we didn’t think he would be able to be the player that he expects – that we all expect. Just needed a little bit more time that unfortunately, the season couldn’t offer us. So he’s still all in it and he was disappointed, but he also understands the big picture at stake and is going to make sure that when he’s on the field for the Dolphins, that everyone feels the player that he knows he is.”

McDaniel said it was “unknown” whether Chubb would be able to return when the team opened his activation window, but it was close enough to try. While the Dolphins’ playoff chances have remained slim throughout the second half of the season, McDaniel said the decision not to activate him was made “independent of where we’re at with the season.”

While all parties are understandably disappointed not to see Chubb on the field this season, McDaniel said even getting to this point is a significant milestone, and removes some uncertainty from this coming offseason.

“It was a big time injury that took an absolute calendar year of strain and work to just get into that position,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s the process, although we’re not seeing him this year, it was very beneficial to be able to work through that. Now, you’re not waiting in offseason with ‘what’s it going to be like?’ … he knows where he is at right now and knows that he just has a little longer to build to get to his standard of play and standard of execution.”

Since Week 5, Miami has been without its other top pass rusher in Jaelan Phillips, who tore his ACL and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. In his place entered 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, who has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL regardless of experience over the past two months.

Robinson’s 6 sacks are tied for the rookie lead and are 2.5 sacks shy of Phillips’ rookie franchise record set in 2021. Since taking over as a full-time starter in Week 5, Robinson also has the third-highest pressure rate and fifth-best pass rush win rate in the NFL.

“What’s been memorable about his year is that you talk about the anti-rookie wall,” McDaniel said. “He really started impacting the game the more and more he learned. And I think that speaks to his daily diligence and his love for football, because even some of the best competitors can fizzle out during the month of December – just because they’ve played for eight more weeks than they’ve ever played football before.

“I think he’s been what we expected. However, there’s parts of his game readiness and his ability to compete against vested veterans left and right that we are hopeful for. But he’s matched or maybe exceeded some of those expectations in that way.”

The Dolphins traded for Chubb midway through the 2022 season and immediately signed him to a five-year, $110 million extension. Phillips is eligible for an extension, as well, but has suffered season-ending injuries in consecutive years after tearing his Achilles in 2023.

Chubb, Robinson and Phillips are yet to take the field together at the same time but could form a formidable trio if they’re healthy next season. Since 2022, all three players rank in the top-10 among pass rushers in both pressure rate and pass rush win rate.