The future of Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett possibly hinges on the outcome of this morning’s game in London. The future of Broncos pass rusher Bradley Chubb possibly does, too.
We’ve been hearing that a loss to the Jaguars makes a Chubb trade by Tuesday’s deadline more likely. A win, however, could have the directly opposite impact. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, a victory likely means not only that Chubb will remain in Denver but that he’ll get a lucrative contract extension.
Schefter reports that an unnamed team already has offered the Broncos a first-round pick and other compensation for Chubb.
The notion that Chubb’s career in Denver hinges on something as superficially meaningless as 60 minutes of football played on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean between a pair of 2-5 teams underscores the manner in which all teams view their players. They’re short-term, interchangeable parts in a broader machine that endures over the decades. Constantly adding new pieces, shedding old ones, always moving forward.
It seems like a strange way to do business. If Chubb is a foundational piece of the Denver roster, who cares if they’re 2-6 through eight games? Again, teams that find a winning lottery ticket in round one shouldn’t trade him in for an unscratched lottery ticket. They should keep him around for his second contract.
Alternatively, if the Broncos are sufficiently ambivalent about Chubb that they’d trade him if they lose today, why keep him if they win?
Bottom line? Today’s game shouldn’t matter. Chubb is either part of the long-term plan or he isn’t. Whether the team has any short-term prospects for getting to the postseason shouldn’t matter.