The Denver Broncos were a bit of a mess before Sean Payton arrived back in 2023. In the previous season, Denver went 5-12 and saw the Russell Wilson-Nathaniel Hackett experiment blow up big-time.
Not only was Hackett one of the worst head coaching hires in recent memory, but Wilson was already damaged goods and clearly someone in a major decline. It felt like Denver was not going to be able to dig out of that mess, but shortly after the season ended, Denver managed to swing a trade for Payton, and the results have been great.
Well, the Broncos likely aren't able to trade for Payton without being able to acquire a first-round pick back in a trade for this former draft pick who has kind of flown under the radar a bit, but on Monday, his current team said goodbye, making the player a free agent.
Former Denver Broncos draft pick Bradley Chubb was cut by the Miami Dolphins
Reported by Jordan Schultz on Monday, the Miami Dolphins and pass-rusher Bradley Chubb are parting ways, so Chubb will be a free agent. Back during the 2022 NFL Season, the Broncos sent Chubb to the Dolphins in a package that was highlighted by a first-round pick, and that pick was used to help trade for Payton.
After an up-and-down tenure with the Dolphins, the team decided to part ways ahead of free agency, taking on a larger dead cap charge. Chubb was drafted by the Broncos with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the draft where the Broncos infamously passed up on Josh Allen.
In 49 career games with the Broncos, Chubb racked up 26 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, and 58 quarterback hits. During his tenure with the Dolphins, Chubb appeared in 41 regular season games and racked up 22 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 54 quarterback hits. One thing that has unfortunately plagued Chubb a bit has been injuries.
In three seasons of his career, Chubb either missed the entire year or played in fewer than 10 regular season games, but when on the field, he's been productive. In 17 games with the Dolphins in 2025, Chubb racked up 8.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 20 quarterback hits. The two-time Pro Bowler is now slated to be a free agent and is going to find a home rather quickly.
Being cut like this before the free agency period surely has to remind the Broncos about this potential NFL Draft mistake. Chubb was a highly-rated defensive player, but he never seemed to live up to his draft billing with Denver, and didn't do the same with the Dolphins.
Overall, he's a slighty above-average player at one of the most important positions in the NFL, so he's done well for himself, but a pass-rusher now searching for his third NFL team also should be a bit of a red flag.