Disclosed is a snubber bearing assembly for protecting a rotor and accompanying bearings from radial and axial rotor transient overload events. The bearing assembly includes a snubber journal mounted on the rotor and a snubber housing having a radial snubber bearing mounted on its inside surface, the radial snubber bearing being radially-offset from an outer radial surface of the snubber journal. Lubricating plugs are disposed within a plurality of holes defined in the radial snubber bearing, the lubricating plugs being configured to provide lubrication between the radial contact surface and the outer radial surface during a radial rotor transient overload event. The snubber housing can also include opposing axial snubber bearings that have lubricating plugs disposed within holes defined therein also. The opposing axial snubber bearings are configured to be axially-offset from inner axial surfaces defined by the rotor journal and provide lubrication therebetween during an axial rotor transient overload event.