MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb took a pay cut of $9.23 million in 2025, reducing his salary cap number by $16.3 million, according to Over The Cap , to stay with the team.

At the start of organized team activities, Chubb explained why he accepted the revision.

"This is a what have you done for me now business," Chubb said. "Yeah, I had a good year in 2023. But at the end of the day, man, I didn't play a lick of football last year. I knew this is the team I wanted to be with. I knew the guys, the leadership, were the guys I wanted to be around and to push me at the end of the day. And I know what we can do here in Miami. A lot of doubters this offseason, a lot of talk. I'm excited to just be here and be able to show out."

Chubb, 28, had 11 sacks in 16 games in 2023. But he missed all of last season following a serious knee injury. Chubb could have returned at the end of last season, but Miami played it safe.

"It was one of those things that weighed on me early in the offseason, like, man, would I be able to go out there and do it all again?" Chubb said. "I left some on the table in that aspect. But at the end of the day, I had to make sure I was 100% right. And that allowed me to get 100% right and allowed me to attack the offseason. I'm glad I made a decision to get all the way right."

Chubb expects to be 100 percent for the season opener and estimates his health between 90 and 99 percent at the moment. He can earn back some salary through incentives.

"I would say that last 10% is just game reps, actual game reps, actual tackling just to see where I'm at in that aspect," Chubb said. "But that's gonna come when it comes and for right now I'm good where I'm at."

Can Bradley Chubb-Jaelan Phillips-Chop Robinson wreck games for Dolphins ?

The combination of Chubb-Jaelan Phillips-Chop Robinson could be deadly , especially if Chubb and Phillips round back into form after knee injuries ended their 2024 seasons.

Miami needs them to create a lot of pressure, especially with a less experienced secondary devoid of players like Jevon Holland and soon-to-be-dealt Jalen Ramsey .

"In the outside linebacker room, we call ourselves the big dogs," Chubb said. "We want to be the ones to change the game. We wanna be the ones that if we need to play, we're gonna be the ones to do it. So yes, we got some inexperienced guys in the back end, but we all know who we are in that room. Not because we don't believe in this guy, but because we want to walk the walk and talk the talk. So it's added pressure to us, but we know they're gonna handle their job because we're gonna handle ours."

With veterans like Calais Campbell moving on, the Dolphins need a veteran like Chubb - a two-time Pro Bowler - to be a key team leader in 2025.

"Being around last year and trying to lead from the background is one thing," Chubb said. "But when you actually going through the fire with guys, when you actually putting the blood, the sweat and the tears in with the guys, it's a little different. You can lead from out front, not in the background."

Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post . You can reach him at and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe . Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter . Help support our work by subscribing today .