Kansas City Chiefs should be considered a strong fit for ex-Dolphins DE Bradley Chubb in free agency for one specific reason
The Chiefs should be looking at Bradley Chubb if only as a means to game the compensatory pick system.
An intriguing option at the edge rusher position just became available for the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2026 NFL free agency period, and the team should be interested for a very specific reason.
The Dolphins began their offseason roster-trimming spree under a new general manager and head coach. One of the players released is DE Bradley Chubb, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, whom the team acquired in a trade from the Denver Broncos during the 2022 NFL season. Chubb was rumored to be on the trade block during the 2025 NFL season, but the team opted to trade away DE Jaelan Phillips instead. Now, with significant salary-cap savings, Miami sought to move on from Chubb’s contract to further build the team in the image of its new leadership.
Over the past 2.5 seasons with the Dolphins, the 29-year-old Chubb has generated 133 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 143 pressures, 22 sacks, nine forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in 41 career games. However, the numbers and overall performance aren’t what make the 6-foot-4 and 275-pound defender a fit for Kansas City.
Players like Bradley Chubb can help the Chiefs maximize 2027 compensatory picks
Chubb will get just under a month’s head start on the 2026 NFL free agency period, given that his former team released him on Monday, Feb. 16. He’s also not eligible to count toward the compensatory pick formula for a team signing him to a contract because he’s considered a street free agent and not an unrestricted free agent. That’s a huge benefit for a team like the Chiefs, who might be looking to maximize the compensatory pick formula during the 2027 NFL season.
Kansas City has a ton of pending free agents, with several of them likely to fetch contracts and roles that would set the Chiefs up to earn a compensatory pick in 2027. Brett Veach has plenty of needs to fill on the 90-man offseason roster for 2026, but he’s never just thinking about the present. He’s always got an eye toward the future. Veach likely doesn’t want pending free agents like CB Jaylen Watson, S Bryan Cook, and LB Leo Chenal to walk without fetching anything in return, but there are only a few tools at his disposal. The franchise and transition tags are options for Veach to explore, but gaming the compensatory pick system might be the best approach.
K.C. hasn’t always been the best at maximizing its opportunities for compensatory picks in recent years. Still, there’s more opportunity this year with the bill coming due for what was a very good 2022 NFL Draft class. With a few prudent moves to sign players like Chubb, who are let go as salary cap casualties, the Chiefs could realistically set themselves up for a haul in rounds three through seven in the 2027 NFL Draft. Ultimately, it comes down to Veach and his willingness to shop for players like Chubb rather than those who will become unrestricted free agents in March.
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