‘I’m not going to Buffalo’ – Bradley Chubb gets candid in one of his first interviews after joining the Bills, opening up on what changed his mind
The Buffalo Bills made a splash when they signed EDGE Bradley Chubb. He’s going to come in and make an immediate impact in Jim Leonhard’s new defense. Chubb opened up on why he ultimately chose the Buffalo Bills over other teams during a busy and sometimes stressful free agency.
The Buffalo Bills immediately got better this offseason after a flurry of moves made during the infancy stages of the free agency and offseason periods.
They brought in a potential Taron Johnson replacement in cornerback Dee Alford. They got nasty in the safety room and found a starter to pair alongside Cole Bishop in C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Buffalo took a swing and got quarterback Josh Allen some help by trading for former Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore. And the team bolstered the EDGE position with the surprise move to sign Bradley Chubb.
The latter was one of the more exciting moves of the entire offseason, and Chubb seems more than ready for the challenge ahead.
Chubb broke his silence about what brought him to Western New York and admitted at first that he wanted nothing to do with Buffalo. After playing for the Miami Dolphins for a handful of seasons, you couldn’t blame him for not wanting to go to a division rival.
Bradley Chubb opens up about joining the Buffalo Bills in free agency
“To be honest, man, I don’t know. Have you been through free agency? You’ve been through free agency, right?” Chubb asked. “Not a fun time, it’s fun when you’re 24, 25, 26, and you’re about to get that money. I’m 29, about to be 30, so like, it’s not a fun time because you pass the break the bank stage, but you still want to be respected. Teams lowball you, give you this, and give you that, and I know I’m better than that. It’s not a fun time.”
Chubb deserves his respect, and that’s exactly what Buffalo gave him. Chubb discussed that from the very first step of the process, Buffalo stood out in a big way. He, at first, didn’t want to join the Bills after spending the past few seasons with the division rival Miami Dolphins, but the deal was just too good to pass up. That, and the people were just so great to say no to for Chubb in his decision.
Buffalo showed “major love” to Chubb during the free agency process
“From the jump, the Bills showed major love. When it first started, I was like I’m not going to Buffalo, what? I was in Miami for four years, I’m a Dolphin. I’m in the airport, everybody is showing love. I’m getting wings, everybody is showing love. I’m like, okay, I see why this place is so special.”
The Bills are a few pieces away from raising the Lombardi Trophy, and Chubb could feel that and was a catalyst for his decision to come to Buffalo. Again, it all comes down to respect, which Buffalo gave to Chubb in droves.
“I just wanted to be a part of a team chasing to hold that trophy up. And I feel like in Buffalo, during my free agency process, it was the best opportunity. They felt that way about me to help them get over the hump, and I felt that way about them.”
The mutual belief is what makes this signing feel different from the typical offseason splash. It’s not just about filling a need or adding another recognizable name. It’s about alignment. Chubb didn’t just choose the Bills because the deal made sense on paper; he chose them because he saw something real inside the building, something that matched his own urgency to win.
And if that feeling translates onto the field the way both sides expect it to, the rest of the league is going to find out very quickly why Buffalo was so persistent. Not only that, but why Chubb ultimately couldn’t say no.
