Linebacker Bradley Chubb Signs 3-Year Deal With Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills didn’t waste a single second. Thirty minutes into the opening of NFL free agency, they already had their man. Bradley Chubb agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million deal worth up to $52.5 million, with $29 million guaranteed. The ink wasn’t even dry on the new league year before Chubb posted a graphic to his Instagram story with the caption “MAFIAAAAAAA” and a pair of buffalo emojis. Safe to say, he’s happy to be in Buffalo.
And honestly? Buffalo should be just as happy to have him.
Why the Bills Desperately Needed Chubb
Let’s be real about what the 2025 Bills pass rush actually looked like. It wasn’t pretty. Buffalo ranked 27th in pass-rush win rate at a measly 31%, according to ESPN. Their 36 total sacks were tied for the 12th-fewest in the league. Greg Rousseau led the team with 7 sacks. Joey Bosa chipped in 5. After that? A whole lot of nothing.
It got so bad that the Bills couldn’t even sack Bo Nix in their divisional round playoff exit. Chubb fixes that. His 8.5 sacks in 2025 alone would have led the entire Bills roster. Pair him with Rousseau, and suddenly Buffalo’s defensive front goes from “concerning” to “genuinely scary.” Offensive lines can only double-team one guy at a time. Now they have a real problem on their hands.
Chubb’s Road To Buffalo: From Denver To Miami To the AFC East
Chubb has had quite the NFL career arc. The Denver Broncos made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he rewarded them with 12 sacks as a rookie. Fast forward to 2022, and the Broncos shipped him to Miami for a first-round pick. The Dolphins immediately handed him a five-year, $110 million extension, because that’s just what you do with a guy who can wreak havoc off the edge.
In Miami, Chubb totaled 26 sacks across three active seasons, with a career-high 11 in 2023. Then came the nightmare: a torn ACL, meniscus, AND patellar tendon in Week 17 of 2023. The kind of injury that makes you wince just reading about it. He missed all of 2024 rehabbing the damage, and then came back in 2025 to play every single game and lead the Dolphins in sacks.
What the Chubb Contract Looks Like By the Numbers
Here’s the full breakdown of Chubb’s deal with Buffalo:
- Term: Three years
- Total value: $43.5 million (up to $52.5 million with incentives)
- Average annual value: $14.5 million
- Guaranteed money: $29 million
For context, Chubb was carrying a $31.2 million cap hit in Miami for 2026. When the Dolphins looked at that number, they made the call to release him in February. Their loss is Buffalo’s gain.
How Chubb Makes the Bills’ Defense Better
The addition of Chubb doesn’t just help the Bills in an obvious “he gets sacks” kind of way. It elevates the entire defensive unit. Rousseau posted a 14.6% quarterback pressure rate in 2025, per Next Gen Stats. So did Chubb. Put those two on the same defensive line under first-year Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard’s new 3-4 scheme, and opposing offensive coordinators are going to lose sleep on Saturday nights.
There’s also the multiplier effect to consider. When Chubb draws attention, it creates one-on-one opportunities for Rousseau on the opposite side. It’s pass-rush math, and right now, it adds up in Buffalo’s favor.
Chubb also replaces the production that Bosa brought before heading to free agency. Actually, he more than replaces it. Over the last three seasons combined (2023, 2024, 2025), Chubb totaled 19.5 sacks in 33 games. Bosa totaled 16.5 sacks in 38 games over that same stretch.
Buffalo Bills Get Their Guy
This is exactly the kind of move Bills fans have been waiting for. Not a band-aid. Not a depth piece. A legitimate, proven, high-impact pass rusher who has been to the Pro Bowl twice and led his team in sacks last year.
Chubb didn’t just survive adversity. He came back from one of the most brutal knee injuries in recent memory and put up an 8.5-sack season. That’s not a fluke. That’s character. That’s the kind of guy you want lining up next to your best pass rusher when the playoffs are on the line. Buffalo still has unfinished business. Chubb is here to help them take care of it.
