The Dolphins missed out on a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC in a lopsided loss to the Ravens, but they still have plenty to play for this year. They have qualified for the playoffs and are still in contention to win the AFC East. That’s why it was disheartening to see star defender outside linebacker Bradley Chubb suffer a non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter of today’s game.

The injury occurred during a garbage-time possession late in the team’s decisive loss. With the Ravens’ backups in on offense, Chubb pursued veteran running back Melvin Gordon behind the line of scrimmage. When Gordon performed a juke move in an attempt to evade Chubb, the veteran defender’s momentum seemed to disagree with his foot placement, sending him to the ground, clutching his right knee. The Dolphins’ sideline immediately rushed to his side and eventually carted him off the field.

Early reports suggest that the Dolphins are fearing a torn ACL for Chubb, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. Chubb will undergo an MRI tomorrow morning to determine the severity of today’s injury. If it is indeed an ACL tear, Chubb will be out for the remainder of the Dolphins’ season and their playoff run, and could also miss the start of the 2024 NFL season.

Chubb was in the midst of a Pro Bowl-worthy season, with 11.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 22 quarterback hits, and six forced fumbles – a career-high and the current league leader. If Chubb is unable to play, Miami will be heading into the playoffs without their top two pass rushers. The Dolphins defense has also been without third-year outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in a Week 12 win over the Jets. These are two big blows for a team that has excelled with its pass rush, which ranks second in the league in sacks.

However, the team’s success in rushing the passer comes from having multiple contributors to their pass rush. With disruptive interior defenders like Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, as well as versatile defenders like Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah, the Dolphins should still be able to generate pressure in the weeks to come.