Nobody was expecting Sunday to unfold the way it did for Miami against the Baltimore Ravens. Broadcasters during the game were raving about it being a “heavyweight match,” only for it to turn into a lopsided contest. The franchise, fanbase, and everyone else involved with Dolphins Nation felt that final blow when outside linebacker Bradley Chubb went down with an injury that was ruled a torn ACL. “In hindsight, I would not have wanted him out there if I knew he was going to get hurt, for sure,” said Head Coach Mike McDaniel. “That’s a known part of the job that I understand fully. It doesn’t look very smart at all.”
Head coach Mike McDaniel has been taking some heat for his decision, and understandably so. But that doesn’t change the fact that his job got much harder after losing another starting edge rusher. When looking for a quick solution, the first thing that comes to mind at this point would be a Ndamukong Suh and Miami reunion. The 13-year veteran visited the Dolphins two weeks ago, and now Miami has an open roster spot.
The 36-year-old five-time pro bowler most recently spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he appeared in eight games and recorded one sack with 10 combined tackles. Before that, he spent three seasons with Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl ring in 2021.
Miami is left with three primary pass rushers after the Phillips and Chubb injury. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will be asking a lot out of Andrew Van Ginkel, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Melvin Ingram. Am I comfortable with that? Not necessarily. That doesn’t take away from their skill or how good they are. It’s more so what this team is trying to achieve and being best equipped to achieve it.
Ndamukong Suh’s playoff and championship experience would be an ideal situation for a defense that has been trending up and needs to get back in rhythm. Suh is all about business and competing for Super Bowls. He already has familiarity with the organization, having signed with the Dolphins back in 2015. He wouldn’t cost much, considering his last deal with the Eagles was worth $750,000. Other things will, of course, play into a factor, such as what kind of shape he is in? or whether we are going to use that open roster spot for another player returning from injury, such as Jerome Baker. Miami made a veteran signing when they acquired Jason Pierre-Paul back in November, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they made a similar move here soon.
