'Generational Talents': Chubb Sounds Off on Broncos Keeping Von Miller & Shelby Harris
Bradley Chubb's season doesn't appear like it's going to end well, despite earning the first Pro Bowl nod of his young career. The Denver Broncos third-year rush linebacker posted 7.5 sacks this season and was among the NFL leaders in QB pressures but he missed Week 16 with an ankle injury and is "50-50" for the season finale vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Fans are licking their chops at the prospect of a fully healthy Chubb, riding the momentum of his first Pro Bowl selection, teaming up with his mentor Von Miller once again to chase down quarterbacks in 2021. Both are under contract but Miller is in the final year of his deal and is coming off a missed season with a big salary-cap number.
In what is likely to be Chubb's last presser of the season, he was asked on Friday how important it is for the Broncos to keep Von Miller, as well as re-signing Shelby Harris — the latter of whom is set to be an unrestricted free agent.
"Unfortunately, these past two years, these injuries have taken away from us as an organization," Chubb said. "With us on the field, it’s going to be huge. With Shelby back on the line, getting that penetration and getting his hands up on balls—just that disruption, getting quarterbacks frustrated is something that gets those guys out of their head and those DBs behind us play good because of that. So, it’s huge to have those guys on the field this year."
Chubb is making his best pitch to GM John Elway to move some money around and find a way to get Harris paid. Again, Miller is under contract but entering his age-32 season, speculation is rampant on whether the Broncos will approach him about a pay-cut.
Chubb doesn't want to hear it. He's all about the Von/Chubb tandem terrorizing quarterbacks in 2021 with Harris pushing the pocket from the inside and batting down balls at the line of scrimmage.
“When you talk about those two guys, you are talking about generational talents," Chubb said. "Von proved that nobody in this league can block him one-on-one, he can have his way and do whatever he wants in this league and get sacks on whoever he wants. He's the prototypical outside linebacker, so I feel like with a guy like that, we can show what we can do."
Fans got a glimpse of what the Von/Chubb duo could do back in 2018. Miller posted 14.5 sacks while Chubb joined an elite list of players all-time with 12 or more sacks as a rookie. Ultimately, Chubb finished with 12 and was just 2.5 sacks shy of breaking the all-time rookie record.
Harris only chipped in 1.5 sacks that year but he was a backup. It was the last stand of the Vance Joseph regime with Joe Woods calling plays defensive.
The next year, Harris was made a starter by new-hire Vic Fangio and would notch six sacks from the interior, which was a huge boon with Chubb on injured reserve for three-quarters of the season and Miller having a bit of a 'down' year with eight sacks.
It would be great to see this trio wreaking havoc on the Broncos' front seven in 2021. But the NFL is a business and such black-and-white considerations always devolve to the bottom line.
Still, it's important to remember that both Chubb and Miller are under contract next year. Harris could get re-signed and the Broncos could opt to stay in a holding pattern with Miller and let him simply play out the final year of his contract.
If 2021 is indeed Elway's last stand as the GM, he might as well go out swinging with his guys and the horses who helped put that luster on his resume as a football executive. Hopefully, Elway heard Chubb's message loud and clear and kicks the Miller can down the road one year.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
