Dolphins Defense Has Unique Incentive
December 27th, 2025
Effort!
It’s often what separates the hungry teams from the pack.
Do the Bucs walk off the field each week looking like the hungriest team ever to put on a Tampa Bay uniform? Not even close.
It’s sad. Effort and fire do not require talent. The Bucs don’t look like an every-blade-of-grass, swarm-the-ball, play-through-the-whistle, hair-on-fire ballclub.
This is the time of year when players around the league on bad teams deliver questionable effort, so fans are often trying to figure out what teams are really trying.
The Dolphins benched their top quarterback with two home games remaining — a guy with a career 75 percent winning percentage at home. They definitely are tanking to a degree.
However, Dolphins captain, stud edge rusher and Walter Payton man of the year honoree Bradley Chubb has a lot to play for. The former Pro Bowler has more than $5 million the line as the season comes to a close.
Per the Miami Herald,
“… how the Dolphins’ defense performs in these final two games will decide whether Chubb makes an extra $4.8 million this season. If the Dolphins’ defense finishes this season ranked among the NFL’s top 20 defense in points allowed, with Chubb’s existing playing time percentage, and his sack production, he’d earn an extra $4.8 million because he’s played 78 percent of Miami’s defensive snaps, and already has six sacks on the season.
“Another two sacks would allow Chubb to make an additional $900,000, but that is all contingent on how the Dolphins, which are presently ranked 22nd in scoring defense, perform.”
Considering Baker Mayfield himself referenced Chubb having a lot of cash on the line during his Tuesday news conference, Joe suspects Chubb has advised his teammates what their captain’s bank account can achieve.
The Dolphins host the Bucs tomorrow and it’s a decent bet that Chubb has identified his own incentives to deliver teammates for helping him hit that extra $5.7 million.
Joe hopes the Bucs’ offense is locked in.