Dolphins' trade for Bradley Chubb puts Miami in win-now mode for first time in decades | Opinion

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tyreek Hill couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Am I reading this right?” the Miami Dolphins star receiver posted on Twitter shortly after the news broke.

Hill, playing the video game Fortnite while streaming live on Twitch, later reacted with an evil laugh after learning the Dolphins acquired premier edge rusher Bradley Chubb from the Denver Broncos before the NFL trade deadline Tuesday afternoon. They sent running back Chase Edmonds, a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 fourth-rounder to the Broncos for Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

“Welcome to Miami, Mr. Chubb,” Hill said.

The Dolphins are in win-now mode. The Chubb trade fortifies the Dolphins defense with a star defender, capitalizes on the spark Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have provided offensively, and shows Miami wants to make serious noise in the playoffs this season.

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“I know the young talent they have over there," Chubb said in an interview outside the Broncos facility after the trade. I’m excited to be part of it. … I just want to add whatever I can add to the group.”

The Chubb trade also means a lot more for the Dolphins.

Just look at their past.

The Dolphins have reached the playoffs twice in the last 20 years.

They won their division twice in the last 22 years.

Their last playoff win was in 2000.

Their last AFC title game was in 1992.

Their last Super Bowl appearance was in 1984.

And this year is the 50th anniversary of the Perfect Season Dolphins, who were undefeated in 1972 before winning two straight Super Bowls.

This trade means everything for the Dolphins franchise, which can finally chase the superiority it has celebrated for the last five decades but met with mediocrity for much of the last two decades.

Owner Stephen Ross, general manager Chris Grier and first-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel are going all in on the 2022 season.

Grier, the Dolphins’ maestro who traded away franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil for an abundance of draft picks in 2019, has turned those riches into Hill, second-year receiver Jaylen Waddle, second-year safety Jevon Holland and now Chubb, who is set to be a free agent this offseason but expected to work out a new contract with the Dolphins, according to ESPN.

Chubb can solidify the Dolphins defense, which is among the five worst teams in the league in yards per play allowed, pressuring the quarterback, and forcing turnovers, while the Dolphins offense is off to a fast start this season.

Tagovailoa leads the NFL with a 112.7 passer rating during his third NFL season in McDaniel’s new Dolphins offense.

Tagovailoa is 11-2 in his last 13 games, while helping the Dolphins get off to a 5-3 start this season. All five wins have come in games Tagovailoa has finished, while Miami’s three losses have come with Tagovailoa recovering from a concussion sustained in Cincinnati on Sept. 29.

The Dolphins made Hill, acquired from the Chiefs in the offseason, the NFL’s highest-paid receiver at $30 million annually and $72.2 million guaranteed. And he has delivered, leading the NFL with 69 catches for 961 receiving yards, while catching two touchdowns. Waddle is also fourth in the NFL with 727 receiving yards, while his five touchdowns rank third in the league.

Chubb will spearhead a defensive line, featuring prospering second-year defensive end Jaelen Phillips, who has three sacks and leads Miami with nine quarterback hits, and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who leads with seven tackles for loss this season.

Chubb could also free up Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who has one sack and seven quarterback hits after agreeing to a four-year, $65 million deal this offseason. Ogbah led Miami with nine sacks each of the last two seasons.

Chubb’s ability to set the edge and disrupt the quarterback will also help Miami’s secondary, which is missing its second highest-paid player in cornerback Byron Jones, who is expected to return this season from an Achilles procedure. Miami has also lost starting safety Brandon Jones (knee) and slot cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles) for the season.

Chubb, 26, has 5.5 sacks this season, which would lead Miami this season. He had 12 sacks as a rookie in 2018, and has 26 in his career. But he missed 12 games in 2019 due to a torn ACL, and 10 games last season due to ankle injuries.

The Dolphins on Tuesday also acquired running back Jeff Wilson Jr. from the 49ers, reuniting him with McDaniel.

For a team that has already beaten Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson this season, the Dolphins move puts them in better position defensively for when they see Allen, Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers later this season — and if they see Allen, Jackson or Mahomes in the postseason.

The Dolphins could be a Super Bowl contender, but they’re still looking up at the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC, while the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings hope to make the best of down seasons by the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers in the NFC.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bradley Chubb trade means to Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins are going for it