A Tale of Two Pass Rushers: How to Look at the Big Outings for Phillips and Chubb

Former Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips had a dazzling debut for Philadelphia, so does it mean the team should have not traded him

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Zach Tom (50) blocks Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) while providing pass protection for quarterback Jordan Love during the fourth quarter of their game Monday, November 10, 2025 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaelan Phillips made his presence felt Monday Night Football, but the Miami Dolphins shouldn’t second-guess trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Phillips quickly reminded everyone why he was worth a third-round pick at the trade deadline, finishing with six tackles, two quarterback hits and a crucial fourth-down run-stop late in Philadelphia’s 10-7 win against the Green Bay Packers.

Still, this is the final year of his rookie contract, and that played just as big a role in making him a trade candidate as his production ever did.

Phillips’ six tackles were his most in a game since November 19, 2023 against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 19, 2023, and his impact as an edge-setting linebacker goes beyond just taking down the ball carrier. He led the Dolphins with 32 pressures in nine games, and continued that momentum with eight more in his Eagles debut, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Before a big win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 10, Miami decided to trade Phillips after falling to five games under .500 with a double-digit loss against the Baltimore Ravens the previous week. While the Eagles aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions, an early-season hole forced the Dolphins to look ahead to the offseason — and they likely saw tricky contract negotiations. 

Phillips' on-field impact is a strong case for a big-time extension. Still, he’s also dealt with a torn Achilles tendon in 2023 and then a torn ACL in 2024.

With a messy salary cap situation (currently $10 million over the 2026 cap limit), Miami decided to exchange Phillips’ rest-of-season services for a Day Two draft pick. On top of that, Bradley Chubb had his best game of the year following the trade. 

Bradley Chubb’s Statement Game

Chubb and the Dolphins defense tormented quarterback Josh Allen for four quarters Sunday and held the Bills to a season-low 13 points. After a season-high six pressures against Baltimore, Chubb raised the bar with 10 against Buffalo to go with three tackles and a sack.

Miami’s pass rush should have been limited since Phillips was no longer in the picture and Chop Robinson was unavailable because of a concussion. However, it was the first time Chubb hit double-digit pressures since 2020 and the first time a player had 10 pressures against the Bills this season, according to PFF.

Buffalo had been consistent up front for most of the season and entered Week 10 against the Dolphins after just 22 combined pressures over the previous two weeks against the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers. 

Like Phillips, Chubb also was mentioned in trade speculation as the Dolphins' season unraveled due to three-game losing streaks in September and October. While Chubb missed all of last season recovering from a devastating knee injury, he hit the ground running this season with sacks in three straight games to begin the year.

It was a surprise to see Miami keep Chubb, considering the team’s struggles and his own contract situation, but the front office clearly felt he brought more to the franchise than any pick offered at the deadline. 

An Uncertain Future

The Dolphins and Chubb will have to discuss his contract this offseason, and unlike Phillips, simply letting him test free agency isn’t an option. 

Miami and Chubb agreed to a revised contract last offseason, lowering his base salary from $19.5 million to $3.2 million while saving the franchise roughly $16 million in salary cap space. The move created flexibility, but looking ahead, Chubb is on the books for a cap hit of $31 million for both 2026 and 2027. His 2026 cap number is currently sixth among edge rushers, according to Over The Cap.

Following the trade deadline, Chubb said he didn’t have any conversations with the front office about any plans beyond 2025, which makes sense given that Champ Kelly is serving as interim general manager.

The Dolphins would save roughly $7 million against the cap by cutting him in the offseason. That number moves closer to $20 million if designated as a post-June 1 cut. That said, Chubb has proven that he can still contribute to winning football with 29 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble through 10 Weeks. 

On the other end, there’s a case to be made that any draft pick would have been good enough to shed a hefty contract for a 30-year-old linebacker who’s played fewer than eight games three times since entering the league in 2018.  

Phillips’s looming contract was a big factor in the deadline trade, but keeping Chubb shows Miami isn’t ready to tear everything down just yet.