As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2026 NFL season, Bills Wire will take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. The team has some cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they'll have help from some new additions as well.
Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top-30 most important players on the roster. We'll recap their 2025 season, look ahead to what they'll offer in 2026, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.
Next on the countdown is Bradley Chubb.
Background
Position: Outside linebacker
Age at start of season: 30
Experience: Ninth year
2026 cap hit: $6,500,000
2025 recap
Bradley Chubb played in all 17 games for the Dolphins in 2025
after missing the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL. He recorded 8.5 sacks, 47 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. His 54.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 100th out of 115 edge defenders in the NFL, but he did rank in the top 30 in total pressures, hurries, sacks, forced fumbles, assists, and solo tackles. And, a year after not logging a single snap, he logged 766 in 2025, the 14th-most in the NFL at the position.
2026 outlook
Chubb and the Bills agreed to a three-year, $43.5 million contract this offseason in free agency. He will be looking to provide veteran steadiness this season for a young Bills defense as they transition to a different scheme under new DC Jim Leonhard. He's penciled in as the starting outside linebacker opposite Greg Rousseau in the 3-4 defense.
Biggest question: Can he return to form?
Chubb had a solid year in 2025 in what was a bounce-back season after suffering the torn ACL. GM Brandon Beane and the Bills are hoping Chubb can return to his pre-injury form in his 30-year-old season. Prior to his injury, he had a great 2023 in Miami, recording 11 sacks while forcing an NFL-most six fumbles. If Leonhard and the Bills defense are getting that version of Chubb, the contract will look like a bargain. If he doesn't return to form, the contract has an out after 2027 that could come into play.
30 most important Bills of 2026
Check back as we continue the countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 30 most important Bills players of 2026: No. 10 Bradley Chubb
