Dolphins Cut Pro Bowl Pass Rusher Bradley Chubb, Will Incur $23.9M Dead Cap Hit
The Miami Dolphins will part ways with two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Bradley Chubb, making the 29-year-old an unrestricted free agent and ushering in a notable roster change ahead of the 2026 season. The club will absorb a $23, 859, 242 dead cap charge for the move while realizing relatively modest immediate savings.
Why the Dolphins moved on
NFL insider Jordan Schultz indicated that the Dolphins have decided to release Bradley Chubb after four seasons with the franchise. The decision completes a long-expected roster shake-up; the organization reworked Chubb’s deal multiple times in recent years to create cap space and had considered trade options during the previous season.
Chubb’s availability and contract architecture made him a logical candidate to clear salary cap room—albeit at a significant up-front accounting cost. By electing not to spread the dead-money burden across multiple years, the team will take the full $23, 859, 242 hit in the 2026 season while saving $7, 343, 500 against what had been a scheduled $31, 202, 742 cap number. Alternatively, a post–June 1 designation could have shifted some of the hit and produced different short-term savings, but the club opted for the immediate roster move now.
Chubb’s résumé and recent production
Selected fifth overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Bradley Chubb’s career has featured high points and frustrating setbacks. After a midseason trade in 2022 that sent him from his original team to the Dolphins, he signed a five-year, $110 million extension that represented a long-term investment in his pass-rushing ability.
Chubb posted peak production in 2023 with 11 sacks and a league-leading six forced fumbles, demonstrating his ability to flip games with timely plays. He missed the entire 2024 campaign due to injury, then returned in 2025 to appear in all 17 games, finishing with 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 8. 5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. The Dolphins also negotiated a pay cut and contract restructures in recent offseasons that temporarily eased their cap picture.
That mixture of proven pass-rush talent, durability concerns and contract complexity helps explain why a team will likely take a calculated chance on Chubb in free agency. At 29, he still projects as a player capable of generating pressure and game-changing turnovers when healthy.
Cap implications and what comes next
The financial math is straightforward: the Dolphins will absorb a near-$24 million dead cap charge, save roughly $7. 3 million against the 2026 cap number, and open a roster spot for a replacement or a younger option. The move signals the franchise is prioritizing flexibility and roster construction over smoothing the salary-cap consequences into future seasons.
For Chubb, free agency offers a chance to reset. Several teams with pass-rush needs and cap room will evaluate his 2025 production and medical history as they weigh offers. Expect suitors to balance shorter-term deals or incentive-laden contracts with the potential upside of his disruption ability off the edge.
Ultimately, the Dolphins’ decision closes one chapter of a high-priced commitment to a seasoned pass rusher and opens another in a busy offseason where personnel and financial strategy will remain front-and-center for the franchise.
