Denver Broncos should move on from Bradley Chubb after 2022 season
Denver Broncos pass rusher Bradley Chubb is injured once again. The fifth-overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, who was recovering from offseason ankle surgery, re-injured the same ankle in the second quarter of the team’s Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Broncos did pick up Chubb’s fifth-year option and he will play for the team in 2022. That being said, it feels like Chubb is getting hurt far too often. Further testing will determine the severity of Chubb’s latest setback but this is a concerning matter for a team that used a top-5 pick on him.
This very well could be a hot take to most people, but the Denver Broncos should move on from Chubb when the final year of his rookie contract is up.
It is quite simple, really: the best ability a player can have is his ability. If Chubb just continues to struggle with his health, then this just isn’t meant to be.
The Broncos have a strong pass rush already, with Von Miller, Malik Reed, and rookie Jonathon Cooper. As far as I’m concerned, this pass rush will be fine as long as Miller remains on the team and is able to give every other rusher some pointers.
We saw it with Reed during last season with Miller out, when he had eight sacks. Cooper showed in the preseason that he was a steal of a draft pick. Is that early to say? Possibly. But early signs are pointing to that being correct.
I won’t say that Chubb was the wrong pick in the draft class, because we don’t know how quarterback Josh Allen would have even panned out with the coaching staff from that year. Chubb was a phenomenal pick. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
After his torn ACL in 2019, Chubb missed the final two games of the 2020 season with the ankle injury that continues to give him problems.
Then there’s the money aspect. How much money will Chubb command in 2022? Would it be worth signing him to a long-term deal? When it comes to his health, it feels like an issue to me.
Another option, and potentially more likely than a straight-up contract finish, is the Broncos finding a trade partner for Chubb. It’s certainly possible that the Broncos receive an offer they just cannot refuse. If the Broncos feel like they can get a strong return in a Chubb trade, it needs to happen.