The dust has finally settled on the 2025 season’s trade deadline, and the Miami Dolphins’ moves, or lack thereof, have given a clear indication of the intent of team owner Stephen Ross.
The Dolphins decided to hold firm on trade deadline day, despite multiple reports and rumors suggesting the team would field calls on the likes of linebacker/edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Matt Judon, as well as star receiver Jaylen Waddle.
No moves came, and many fans questioned what the team was doing, feeling that a rebuild was the natural path the 2-7 Dolphins would be heading towards.
The aforementioned players, except perhaps Waddle, were largely expected to be cut or moved on in the off-season regardless of the team’s performances this year, which has begged the question of why the Dolphins didn’t get something in return for them now.
While on the surface, it may look like a questionable decision, there could be a clear, methodical plan behind it.
Miami Dolphins Set For a Retool, Not a Rebuild
At face value, the moves that the Dolphins made heavily suggest that the team will look to retool next offseason rather than implement a full-scale rebuild that could take a couple of years to pay dividends.
On paper, the Dolphins should be performing much better than they have in 2025, and if everyone were fully healthy, there’s a chance that running it back with some new additions could see a return to 2023-level results.
This could see some players sticking with the team rather than being cut or traded away, meaning that while Chubb and Judon have been heavily rumored, there is a genuine chance that at least one of them could remain on the Dolphins roster for 2026.
The fact that interim GM Champ Kelly only traded Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles, receiving a third-round pick next year in return, suggests that the Miami Dolphins are not looking to tear everything down and may be looking to simply tweak the roster.
Phillips, Chubb, and Judon all play similar roles, and removing all three would leave the Dolphins extremely light at a key defensive position, with only Chop Robinson viewed as a genuine starter-caliber player left on the roster.
If Kelly had offloaded all of them, it would be a clear signal that the Dolphins were tearing it all down and looking at rebuilding – something that could take a significant amount of time, considering the difficult cap situation the next permanent GM faces.
If Ross, however, has decided he doesn’t want to see the team go through that and would rather look at retooling, adding new players to complement what already exists, then it makes sense that the team wouldn’t shift on the high cost that was reportedly added, particularly to Waddle.
Miami Dolphins Could Use Chubb
The Dolphins could look at how their retooling goes in free agency, and potentially even in the Draft, before making a decision on Chubb’s future with the team.
Judon, meanwhile, is a free agent after this season, but the Dolphins could still bring him back as a veteran presence, especially as his contract would be low in cost; his current deal only carries a $1.64 million cap hit.
Chubb is set to see his cap hit jump up to $31.2 million next year, and a restructuring could be one way that secure his place on the team. It would also be a move that allows the Dolphins to free up cap space and bring in more bodies to strengthen the roster.
While Chubb hasn’t been the player he has been in the past, he is still a leader on the team and has four sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery just one season after missing all of 2024 due to injury.
If the Dolphins are looking at taking the retooling route, having Chubb return on a more team-friendly deal would be worth considering and could be the thinking behind keeping him beyond the trade deadline.
However, if the Dolphins make the decision to tear it all down after 2025 with a new general manager at the helm, then this may very well be a decision that fans question even more by the time the 2026 season rolls around.
Main Image: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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