Jaelan

Phillips

The Eagles continue to bolster their defense via the trade market ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Phillips, who is on an expiring contract, becomes the third defensive player to be acquired by the Eagles in the last week and should provide an immediate boost to a pass rush that ranks 23rd in the league with 16 sacks. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Eagles are trading their own third-round pick to the Fins as opposed to the one they acquired from the Jets in the Haason Reddick deal, and Phillips will also count toward the Eagles’ compensatory formula should he leave next offseason via free agency. Phillips has totaled 15 tackles and three sacks for the Dolphins this season, and has often looked like a player on the verge of a breakout season before a devastating injury cuts things short. He’ll have a chance to breakout with the Eagles defense over the final nine weeks of the season in hopes of bolstering their defense while also building his case as a top free agent next offseason.

Interim GM Champ Kelly has five days to orchestrate some moves before Tuesday’s trade deadline. The Dolphins are sitting on a 2-7 record and have several players who could be of interest to contenders, with Chubb and Phillips likely topping the list in a league that covets pass rushers. Chubb, who has totaled four sacks this season, is still under contract through the 2027 season, while Phillips’ contract is set to expire at the end of this season. Phillips has managed three sacks in the nine games he has appeared in. After hesitating to pull the trigger on any trade requests before Week 9’s loss to the Ravens, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dolphins looked to deal some players in hopes of recouping draft picks entering the offseason.

Chubb missed the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon injury he sustained at the end of the 2023 regular season. EDGE Jaelan Phillips, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October, was also participating during Miami’s OTAs as he makes his way back from yet another serious injury. A fully-healthy Chubb and Phillips would be a much-needed addition to a Dolphins defense that last year had the league’s ninth lowest QB pressure rate and was graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s 11th worst pass rushing unit.

Phillips already announced via his Instagram that he is going to miss the remainder of the season. Per Rapoport, if all goes well, Phillips should be ready by the start of the 2025 season. Phillips ended the 2023 season on injured reserve because of a torn Achilles and will now miss the bulk of the 2024 season because of the knee issue. He had 6.5 sacks in eight games last year and one sack through four contests this year. The 2025 season is the final year of Phillips’ rookie deal.

Phillips relayed the news via an Instagram post. He did not get into specific details on the nature of the injury but did say he will undergo reconstructive surgery on his knee. It’s the second year in a row that has ended with an injury for Phillips. He suffered a torn Achilles late in the 2023 season. This is yet another blow to a Miami roster that has already lost multiple players to long-term injuries.

The club is still evaluating how much time Phillips will need to miss, but it’s not surprising that he won’t be up for Week 5 after Miami quickly ruled him out on Monday night. Miami’s Week 6 bye will give them a little more time to figure out the situation. It’s possible he winds up on injured reserve.

Phillips originally tweaked the knee earlier in the game, but appeared to re-aggravate it in a non-contact situation in the third quarter. The Dolphins could scarcely afford to lose one of their best defensive linemen, but here we are. The quick rule-out is ominous for Phillips’ rest-of-season outlook.

Phillips suffered a torn Achilles nearly nine months ago while in the middle of what was looking to be a breakout year for the pass-rusher. In just eight games, he had amassed 6.5 sacks and seven TFLs and had recorded a sack in five straight games before going down in Week 12 against the Jets at the Meadowlands. Phillips has been seen running and rehabbing throughout the offseason, but we’d still expect the Dolphins to ease him back into action. With that said, it’s possible he’s active and ready to play in Week 1 when the Dolphins face the Jaguars on September 8.

Chubb suffered a Grade 3 ACL tear on December 31st, 2023, just five weeks after Phillips ruptured his right Achilles tendon. Both players face roughly nine-to-twelve-month return-to-play timelines, although Chubb’s rehabilitation process is less involved than Phillips’, who must slowly build up his repaired tendon’s elasticity. If both players remain on the PUP list through training camp, they will be eligible for the regular season’s active PUP list, where they will then remain for at least four games.

A torn Achilles suffered in Week 12 of last season didn’t stop the Dolphins from doing right by Phillips, who said he expects to be ready by Week 1. Phillips totaled 6.5 sacks in eight games last season and was well on his way to a career-high before his injury derailed his season. If he can get back to his old form, Phillips is on his way to being one of the league’s top pass rushers playing opposite Bradley Chubb. Like Phillips, Chubb is also working his way back from a season-ending injury after he suffered a torn ACL in Week 17. We’ve seen Achilles injuries cut careers short in the past. Hopefully, Phillips won’t be dealt a similar fate.