The Green Bay Packers haven’t made many changes to their coaching staff this offseason, but one of the biggest was the departure of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Hafley took over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins last month, and with former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan as general manager, the duo has already started their attempt to turn Miami into “Green Bay South.”
To do that, there will be some high-profile breakups, and the first one came on Monday morning when NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Dolphins are parting ways with edge rusher Bradley Chubb. Chubb had two years remaining on the three-year, $54.4 million contract restructure he signed before last season, but will now be a free agent in a move that helps Miami save $7.3 million off the cap.
While it’s the first step toward Hafley crafting the Dolphins in his vision, it could also come back to haunt the Packers as Chubb hits the market.
Packers’ Rivals Could Get Stronger After Dolphins Release Bradley Chubb
The first thing that should be on Packers fans' minds with this news is that Chubb could wind up in the NFC North. While the Minnesota Vikings are set with Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears could be prime suitors for the 29-year-old in the coming weeks.
The Lions have a sense of urgency this offseason after missing the playoffs in 2025. One of the biggest reasons they spent January at home was their pass rush, as nobody stepped up outside of Aidan Hutchinson and Al-Quadin Muhammad. Muhammad is a free agent and may not return to Detroit, and while fans have salivated over rumors of Maxx Crosby, Chubb could be a more available option that requires less in return and gives the Lions a dominant pass-rushing duo.
The same situation applies to the Bears. Montez Sweat had 10 sacks, but the rest of Chicago’s pass rush lacked bite as Gervon Dexter (6 sacks) and Austin Booker (4.5 sacks) were the only three players with more than four sacks last season.
While the Lions ($10.3 million) and Bears ($5.3 million) are currently over the salary cap (h/t Over The Cap), other NFC contenders could add Chubb. The Seattle Seahawks could add to their dominant pass rush with $63.2 million in cap space, while the Los Angeles Rams ($46.4 million), San Francisco 49ers ($41.8 million), and Philadelphia Eagles ($18.1 million) all have ample cap space to add Chubb and make the Packers climb through the conference a lot more difficult.
Chubb is a two-time Pro Bowler who racked up 22 sacks in 41 games after being traded to Miami from the Denver Broncos midway through the 2022 season. While he missed the 2024 season with a torn ACL, he collected 11 sacks with an NFL-high six forced fumbles during the 2023 season and bounced back to record 8.5 sacks with the Dolphins last year.
With Rasheed Walker entering free agency and Zach Tom rehabbing a partially torn patellar tendon this offseason, Chubb is the type of player they don’t want to face once, let alone twice a year, if he winds up in the division. This could also add to the list of damage Hafley has caused since leaving Green Bay, including hiring six former Packers coaches to his staff and potentially making a run at quarterback Malik Willis and Kingsley Engabare.
If anything, releasing Chubb is the latest move that could cause the Packers some pain in the long run and more could be in store as the offseason continues.