Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed that both of the team’s trade deadline additions, linebacker Bradley Chubb and running back Jeff Wilson Jr., will play in some capacity on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
It’s a great sign for the Dolphins, who are currently 5-3 on the season and hoping to take advantage of a rebuilding Bears team in Week 9.
While McDaniel seems noncommittal about how big of a role each player will have in Week 9, the fact that they are ready to contribute in some fashion is a great sign.
McDaniel said Chubb and Wilson will play “more than zero snaps” Sunday vs the Bears but the exact number depends on several variables
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) November 4, 2022
The transition to Miami’s offense may be easier for Wilson than it would be for most players, as he played for McDaniel on the San Francisco 49ers when McDaniel was part of the team’s coaching staff.
This season, Wilson is averaging 5.1 yards per carry after getting the starting role for the 49ers for a good chunk of the season. He and Raheem Mostert were both part of the 49ers’ backfield when McDaniel was with the franchise.
Wilson and Mostert should complement each other well in Miami, as Wilson is a bit more of a between-the-tackles runner than the speedy Mostert. Wilson may not see a full workload in Week 9, but he may very well get some touches, especially since the team traded away running back Chase Edmonds in the deal for Chubb.
As for Chubb, he’s having arguably the best season of his NFL career in the 2022 campaign. The former No. 5 overall pick has 5.5 sacks and 26 combined tackles in eight games this season.
Chubb could see some action in obvious pass-rushing situations, especially since the Dolphins have just 15 sacks as a team this season.
Adding Wilson and Chubb at the deadline indicated that the Dolphins believe they can make a playoff run in the 2022 campaign.
The Dolphins have gone 5-1 in games that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started, and they’ve won every game that he has been able to finish this season (he was knocked out of their loss against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4).
Miami and Chicago are scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 6.
