Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb has 12 sacks in his rookie year. He’s only 2.5 sacks from tying Jevon Kearse’s rookie record of 14.5. Chubb thinks he can get there.
“Since I’m this close, it seems like it’s a goal that is attainable,” Chubb told reporters on Thursday. “I’m just going to go out there and play my game, and if it happens, it happens. But if it doesn’t, it’s cool. At the end of the day, I’m going to try and get it, but I’m not going to force it. I’m going to play pass on every play and stuff like that. It’ll be a great achievement though. Great for me, great for the team, great for everybody. So, it’s something that’s definitely in my sights, but it’s not something I’m going to try and go out of my way to get.”
Kearse set the record as a rookie with the Titans in 1999.
“I’ve recently started doing more research on him,” Chubb said of Kearse. “As I was coming into the NFL and stuff, because a lot of people was telling me about the record and all that, that’s how I knew the number. But I never really watched him play or anything like that -- not his rookie year. I watched some of towards the end of his career, but I never really studied or stuff like that.”
Chubb didn’t enter the season expecting to challenge Kearse.
“I never really would’ve actually saw it happening,” Chubb said. “Right now, it’s been all surreal, been a blessing. I’m just trying to maintain as much as I can and just go out there and make plays. Like I said, if it happens, it happens. But if it doesn’t, then it’s all good. I’m still impressed with my season, and this is going to be a lot for next year.”
Chubb and Von Miller have become a potent pair of pass rushers. With Miller’s 14.5 sacks, they have 26.5 between them.