Why Bradley Chubb Will Break Out With Buffalo Bills

Of the Buffalo Bills’ several new additions throughout free agency, the most intriguing is edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

For a team that has struggled to sack opposing quarterbacks in recent seasons, Chubb is a godsend for the Bills. Between his impressive track record and physical traits, Chubb will provide an influx of pass-rushing ability that instantly boosts the Buffalo defense.

Not only will injecting his talent improve the Bills’ pass rush, but Chubb’s move to his new team is also the first step in his quest to return to form as one of the league’s most fearsome sack artists.

Rebound year

Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) runs on the field before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jeff Romance-Imagn Images

Chubb is coming off an 8.5-sack season, tied for 20th in the league, in which he bounced back from an entire campaign that was lost due to injury. His total pressures (54) in 2025 were tied for 21st-most in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old sustained a severe knee injury that kept him out throughout the 2024 campaign. However, after a productive 17-game stretch and now even further removed from the injury, signs point to this being a breakout year for the former first-round pick.

"I'm really excited to get into this season," said Chubb during his introductory press conference via Zoom conference. "Last season, especially the start of last season, I was kind of just getting my feet under me, understanding like how to go about a game week again, how to recover and make sure I'm good for the next week. And I feel like I hit my stride towards that fifth to middle of the season type game."

In each season Chubb has played in 16 games or more, he has recorded eight or more sacks, which would have been the most recorded by any Bills player a year ago. Greg Rousseau led the Bills in that statistic in 2025 with seven.

If he can remain healthy with the Bills, he has a great opportunity to produce to his utmost potential.

Welcomed change

Speaking of Rousseau, Chubb’s addition will allow his new counterpart to shift to the left side of the defensive line, which is believed to be his more natural position. Rousseau had previously played primarily on the right side over the past few seasons. However, according to Cover 1’s Erik Turner, Rousseau told Turner, “He prefers the left side and that Chubb prefers the right side.”

That should open things up for both players, as the Bills could finally have a true one-two punch on opposite ends of their defensive line. Buffalo has tried a few different veterans in recent seasons, including Joey Bosa a year ago, with their moves offering mixed results.

A hark back

While Bosa’s addition didn’t necessarily play out how Buffalo had hoped, it wasn’t too long ago that one of the team’s free-agent edge rushers passed with flying colors. The Bills added then-31-year-old Leonard Floyd in 2023, and the trusty vet recorded an impressive 10.5-sack season, during which he appeared in all 17 games.

The circumstances are different for Chubb, as he joins a team in transition that just hired a new head coach and first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. But the switch to Leonhard's chaotic odd-man front will suit Chubb nicely and put him in a position to record the third double-digit sack season of his career.

"It's actually funny how life works — when I first got to Denver, when I got drafted there, Vance Joseph was the head coach. So he's been the DC in Denver these past two years and Coach Leonhard has came from that system," added Chubb. "So it's kind of a a match made in heaven, man."

More like a match made in Orchard Park, where the Bills hope to open their new stadium with a big year in 2026. Expect Chubb to be a significant part of it.