The Miami Dolphins suffered a tough blow late last year when they lost star edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips to a torn Achilles. The former All-American and first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2021 had been improving in each of his first three years before the injury.
Phillips recently spoke with the Miami media about how rehab has gone and how he has been feeling. “I’m feeling great. I’ve been attacking the rehab. It’s been a tedious process. You learn a lot about yourself through times like this. Adversity makes us stronger,” Phillips stated.
The 25-year-old is one of the league’s growing stars. As a rookie in 2021, he recorded 8.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss while starting in just five games. In his sophomore NFL season in 2022, he set a career-high in total tackles with 61 and solo tackles with 37. Last season, before his year was cut short, he had 6.5 sacks through just eight games. It would be a fair bet to say that he would’ve set a career-high in sacks if he didn’t go down.
This Miami Dolphins defense, on paper, is one of the best in football. If Phillips is healthy, he can help the likes of six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Calais Campbell, former Pro Bowl edge-rusher Bradley Chubb, All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer, and seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey all wreak havoc on opposing offenses. Phillips can be the straw that stirs the drink. He just needs to remain healthy and stay on top of his game for head coach Mike McDaniel and Co.
