AFC Notes: Bradley Chubb, Jermaine Johnson, Dolphins, Jets, Patriots

Dolphins

Dolphins LB Bradley Chubb suffered a torn ACL which cut his 2023 season short. Chubb detailed how rehab is going and cited his optimistic mindset as how he’s getting through it. 

“It’s going good, man,” Chubb said, via the Team Torque podcast. “As good as it can be for this point, you know what I mean? I feel like the ACL recovery is so long and strenuous, but I’ve been having a positive attitude through it all, man.”

“Seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and working towards that and not really thinking about what it could be and what it isn’t. Just taking it day-by-day, focusing on how I can make today the best day possible and it’s been working out for me. I can’t complain.”

Jets

Jets DE Jermaine Johnson is coming off an improved output in his second year in the NFL. Johnson touched on not taking success for granted and his excitement to play with new DE Haason Reddick.

“All the success in the world is leased and rented. It’s never owned,” Johnson said, via Coral Smith of NFL.com. “So yeah, you can enjoy the little accolades or success you have, but if you don’t grind and bust your butt and go to work again and again and again, you’re going to lose it. It’s going to get repo-ed, so to say. So just understanding, OK, cool, I had a decent year, not to my standard for myself, so I know I’ve just got to go back to work and work even harder and just keep a level head. Keep the highs not too high, the lows not too low, and keep having confidence in myself and showing up for my teammates.”

“When we’ve got a player, an electric and legendary, in my opinion, player like Haason, you can’t help but get better. I’m excited to get out there, work with him, learn from him. I know he’s got so many nuggets of information and knowledge he can share with me, and kind of just show me things that I don’t know. He’s so level and so humble, and I’m just excited to have a guy like that on the other side from me.”

Patriots

Mike Sando of The Athletic cites an anonymous NFL executive who thinks the Patriots should’ve taken the Giants’ offer for the No. 3 overall pick. 

“New England had an opportunity to pick up an extra first (in 2025) and pick up additional draft capital and ride this season out with a version of Jacoby Brissett, Joe Milton, and Bailey Zappe, and they chose not to do it in exchange for the third quarterback of the group,” an executive said. “The Giants’ offer looked strong. I don’t know why they didn’t pull the trigger on that.”

Another executive is confident the Patriots were set to take a quarterback at No. 3 overall and would’ve drafted Jayden Daniels if Drake Maye went to the Commanders. 

“If Drake Maye goes to Washington at 2, New England is taking Jayden Daniels — point being, New England was taking whoever was left,” an executive said. “No different than Houston last year after Carolina selected. It worked out for Houston. It very well could work out for New England. I just think the team New England has around its QB more closely resembles Carolina than Houston.”