MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — There was a peculiar report during the Matthew Judon trade coverage.
KPRC out of Houston listed the Miami Dolphins among the teams involved in conversations with the New England Patriots about the disgruntled pass rusher. Whatever the Dolphins offered, it wasn’t enough. The Patriots traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons late Wednesday.
But the fact that Miami was even kicking the tires on yet another pass rusher raises fresh questions about the status of Bradley Chubb, who is still fewer than eight months removed from reconstructive knee surgery.
The Latest on Miami Dolphins Bradley Chubb
Chubb hasn’t practiced since tearing his ACL on New Year’s Eve, and the Dolphins have acted as though they’re not counting on him — at least early in the season.
They drafted Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara in April and signed Emmanuel Ogbah in July (after Shaq Barrett unexpectedly retired).
#Bears #Dolphins were the other teams involved in #Patriots #Falcons trade for pass rusher Matthew Judon, dealt for third-round pick, per league sources. #Texans made brief inquiry, but nothing developed @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 15, 2024
Those three plus Jaelan Phillips — who is back practicing nine months removed from a torn Achilles — should be more than enough to get Miami through the first month of the season if Chubb isn’t ready for the opener.
So bringing in Judon — who wants a new contract — wouldn’t make a lot of sense for a cap-strapped Dolphins team unless there are real questions about how much Chubb can give them in 2024.
Miami head coach Mike McDaniel weighed in on Chubb’s status during his news conference ahead of Thursday’s joint practice with the Washington Commanders.
Here was his response:
“It’s going much like the ongoing conversations been about Jaelan Phillips and that like no timeline, making sure that he has no setbacks. So he’s progressing. [We’re] making sure that when he’s on the field, he’s there to stay. So he’s doing a great job understanding his role to the team. Very important player for this team.
“[He] might be one of the most, if not the most popular player on the team. I don’t think there’s a teammate that he can’t reach. And with that connectivity, there’s some responsibility that goes there for the organization. So he’s being very wise beyond his years in terms of making sure that he doesn’t, in a heat of competitiveness, overstep boundaries too soon. So happy with where he’s at.”
Translation? The Dolphins still very much expect Chubb to contribute in 2024.
