Miami Dolphins' Bradley Chubb jokes team remains 'delusional' minus Jaelan Phillips
MIAMI GARDENS — Bradley Chubb has been there. He has been the star pass rusher traded in the middle of a season — it’s how he came to the Miami Dolphins . So when it came time to say farewell to Jaelan Phillips , his opposite number, Chubb had all the right things to tell his friend, who is joining a first-place team in the Philadelphia Eagles .
Chubb also had a message for teammates remaining with the Miami Dolphins.
“We’ve got eight games left in the season and we’ve got a good chance to turn this thing around,” Chubb said. “So we all believe. We’re all, in a sense, delusional about what we can be.”
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The Dolphins are 2-7, so maybe a touch of delusion isn’t such a bad thing . Phillips, on the other hand, is now a member of a 6-2 team trying to win a second consecutive Super Bowl.
“You never want to see somebody who you know, a player like that, leave,” Chubb said. “But at the end of the day, man, I know he’s going to do everything he can to take advantage of that opportunity. Philadelphia is rolling right now, so I’m excited for him to add to that.”
The trade comes at a bad time as far as the Dolphins are concerned. The third member of the pass-rushing trio , Chop Robinson , is in concussion protocol. Because of the need, the Dolphins signed linebacker Andre Carter II off Detroit’s practice squad .
The Phillips trade ends a partnership that offered great promise for the Dolphins but also great disappointment beyond anyone’s control. Phillips suffered two season-ending leg injuries. Chubb also blew out a knee. Their time together on the playing field wasn’t what it could have been.
“It’s unfortunate,” Chubb said. “You never want to waste those opportunities with a good player like that. But I did think about it, but we had our time. We did what we did when we were on the field together. And now, hopefully, we could get a chance to be on the field together in the future again.”
There had been speculation that Chubb, too, could be on Miami’s trading block. In the end, interim general manager Champ Kelly pulled off only the Phillips deal. Chubb said Kelly was “up front” with him as the trade deadline neared.
“I appreciate it,” Chubb said. “I tried to stay busy. I did a lot of running around, did some stuff in the community.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Are Miami Dolphins delusional about turnaround minus Jaelan Phillips?
