The Bradley Chubb solution
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The Bradley Chubb solution
The Carolina Panthers are coming off a solid season, and the team is looking to make major free agency moves.
Though the Carolina Panthers in some ways exceeded expectations, the team needs to a pass rusher badly.
“The Carolina Panthers need a premium edge rusher badly. Unfortunately, they’re not exactly in the best spot to get one.” Zach Roberts wrote in a Sports Illustrated article. “Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, and Khalil Mack are equal parts too costly and too in-demand for the Panthers, who have less than $10 million in cap space currently.”
The Panthers pick 19th in the upcoming NFL draft. This is considered a late first-round draft pick. Carolina will likely miss out on the top pass rushers in this year’s draft.
Bradley Chubb Predicted to Sign With Carolina
The upcoming draft features top pass rushers such as David Bailey and Rueben Bain Jr., but they will be likely off the board. However, the Miami Dolphins have released veteran pass rusher Bradley Chubb, and the Carolina Panthers could pick him up.
Chubb, a former North Carolina State standout, has 48 career sacks in the NFL. He has established himself as an effective pass rusher for eight years in the NFL.
“Bradley Chubb starred at NC State, just a few hours from Charlotte, in college. Now, the Panthers have a chance to bring the talented edge rusher back home.” Zach Roberts wrote in the article. “FOX Sports analyst Greg Auman ranked Chubb the 21st-best free agent in this crop. Chubb was also the fourth highest-ranked edge rusher in the group. He’s not Trey Hendrickson, but he’s good.”
“Auman also pointed out that Chubb is five years younger than Khalil Mack. The insider admitted that it was tempting to predict that Chubb will head to Baltimore to follow defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, but there’s another Panther connection besides proximity to his college.”
During Chubb’s rookie season, he recorded 12 sacks and two forced fumbles playing for the Denver Broncos. In 2023, he recorded 11 sacks for the Dolphins. In 2024, he did not play due to a torn ACL. He recorded 8.5 sacks and 8 tackles for loss in 2025.
Bradley Chubb Could Boost Carolina’s Defense
Chubb’s availability has been up and down since coming into the league. He has only played 4 full NFL seasons since coming into the NFL in 2018. Though availability is a question mark, Chubb could be a difference-maker for the Carolina Panthers.
“The Panthers could have a pretty solid defense if they could rush the passer even a little. They finished 31st in pressure rate during the 2025 regular season, with only the New York Jets generating a sack, hit or hurry on a smaller share of opponent dropbacks. Carolina doesn’t have much cap room this offseason, but if it can land Chubb on an affordable short-term deal, he’d be worth adding to a room that lacks juice.” Jared Dubin wrote in a CBS article.
In 2025, the Carolina Panthers had a 34% pass-rush win rate. As a result, the Panthers ranked 16th in total defense. They ranked 20th in the NFL against the run and 15th against the pass.