Jaelan

Phillips

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.

“I’ll definitely be back healthy for the season,” was Phillips’ exact quote. Phillips’ injury was a November crusher for a Dolphins team that was inconsistent down the stretch, as he appeared to be cruising toward a new career high in sacks. Still only 25 next Month, Phillips has logged at least 6.5 sacks every season since the Dolphins made him the No. 18 overall pick of the 2021 draft. “Youth” is on his side as he races back for the opener.

Pierre-Paul signs with the Dolphins after LB Jaelan Phillips tore his Achilles in Week 12. Pierre-Paul had three sacks last season with the Ravens and signed with the Saints’ practice squad earlier in November. The Dolphins will try to use him to plug the void left by Phillips, who has to turn his sights to next season.

That will end Phillips’ season, who was in the midst of a true breakout season in his third year. The former first-round pick had been a mainstay off the edge for a Dolphins defense struggling to generate consistent pressure, something to keep an eye on for fantasy purposes for the remainder of the season.