The Denver Broncos are getting used to this, but they are going to be without one of their star pass-rushers for the foreseeable future.
After aggravating an ankle injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, Bradley Chubb has undergone surgery and it is being reported that he will miss anywhere from 6-8 weeks, putting him on the shelf with the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Ronald Darby and Josey Jewell.
To expand upon the thought that the once huge hopes of having Von Miller and Chubb becoming one of the best pass-rushing duos in the modern era basically going up in smoke, this article will be filled with some statistics that show just how unfortunate the injuries to these to players have been.
Sure, there is still a glimmer of hope that Miller and Chubb will be on the field together again pestering the opposing quarterback by the end of this season. But is anyone really banking on that at this point?
If you are, these numbers may influence you to change your mind.
Just 21 games together
When Chubb was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft, huge things were expected from the duo of Miller and Chubb. How were defenses going to account for both players?
As it turns out, they haven’t really had to worry about it. That is because the two have played in just 21 of a possible 50 games together, or about 42 percent of the games.
That’s not great and it makes the duo far less scary.
In 2018, Chubb’s rookie season, both he and Miller played in all 16 games. But that was the only season that has happened.
In 2019, Chubb partially tore his ACL in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and missed the rest of the season. Last offseason, a dislocated peroneal tendon ended Miller’s season before it even started.
Chubb missed the season opener this year against the New York Giants but decided to give it a go the following week against the Jaguars. He lasted just 19 snaps before his day ended.
It’s a real shame that the Broncos can’t seem to get their two defensive studs out on the field together, but when they have only been available at the same time for 42 percent of the time, it doesn’t really matter how good they are or could be.