Pass rusher Bradley Chubb enters the final year of his rookie contract due to make $13.9 million after the Broncos exercised the fifth-year option. Thus, Chubb has as much to play for this season as any player on the Broncos.
Chubb will get paid -- either with the franchise tag or a long-term extension from the Broncos or someone else -- with a season like he had as a rookie when he had 12 sacks. Chubb, though, has had only 8.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits in 25 games the past three seasons combined.
Chubb said he hasn’t put much thought into his future.
“I know I didn’t put my best foot forward last year on the field,” Chubb said, via Nick Kosmider of TheAthletic.com. “That’s what it comes down to, making plays and doing things for the organization to help us win. I feel I wasn’t in that position last year. My goal is to play 17 games and win as many as possible. That (contract) stuff is going to come. If you stress about it, that’s when you start doing things you don’t need to be doing. So my thing is tunnel vision, looking forward and just trying to help this team win.”
Chubb, 25, appeared in only seven games in 2021 after having two ankle surgeries. He did not have a sack.
Chubb admits there were times in his career when he was discouraged. But he now is fully healthy and encouraged as he tries to replace Von Miller, whom the team will enter the season without for the first time since 2010.
“There’s been countless times in my role where I’m like, ‘Man, am I going to be OK? I’m supposed to be good,’” Chubb said, “and I’d still feel this or that. . . . But I try not to think about (the injuries) anymore, man. I’m just focused on what I can control, and what I can control is being the best me, coming out here healthy and helping this team win.
“Sometimes you’ve got to go through the bad things to get where you want to be.”
The Broncos signed free agent Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70 million deal to play opposite Chubb. Now they need both players healthy and available.
