The Broncos returned from their bye on Monday and their defense began getting used to life without edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
Chubb was traded to the Dolphins ahead of last week’s trade deadline and longtime teammate Justin Simmons said on Monday that Chubb “meant so much to us as a defense” so “obviously it hurts” to realize that he won’t be part of the unit any longer. While that pain exists, the veteran safety still believes that the Broncos have the right pieces to succeed over the final nine games of the season.
“It hurts the locker room because you build a relationship, but at the same time guys understand,” Simmons said, via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. “Guys weren’t coming in upset, feeling like the season’s over. None of that even crossed their minds. That wasn’t even mentioned. The fact of the matter is that, hey, it’s part of the league. It’s unfortunate, but we have all the guys capable of still winning in this room and it’s time to buy in and lock into that.”
The Broncos defense has been a strength all season and it has helped the team go 3-5 despite abysmal offensive play. Keeping that kind of performance in place without Chubb will be vital to Denver’s chances of stacking together wins in the coming weeks.
