Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips ruled out for the season with a partially torn ACL
As the popular adage goes, when it rains, it pours.
And if you take one look at the Miami Dolphins, it’s very clear that it’s pouring.
Jaelan Phillips will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after he sustained a partially torn ACL Monday against the Tennessee Titans that will require season-ending reconstructive knee surgery.
“I believe that our lives are defined by how we handle adversity,” Phillips wrote via Instagram. “In these moments of uncertainty, defeat and sorrow, it is natural to question your purpose and wonder what is the meaning of this pain. I know my purpose is to inspire people to never give up, no matter how many times you get knocked down. I am living testimony of the power of resilience and faith, and I feel strongly in knowing that my God is greater than any obstacle. Through him I will persevere. There is nothing in life that you can’t overcome as long as you don’t quit.”
This is the second time in less than a year that he suffered a right leg injury that prematurely ended his season. Phillips tore his Achilles in Nov. 2023 during a Black Friday matchup against the New York Jets.
“It’s not exciting at all, especially when you watch someone work so hard to earn every rep,” coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday afternoon, adding that it was a “partial tear” of a knee ligament. “It’s tough. I think Jaelan is as he as continually impressed me since I gotten to know him, he recognizes that this is a contact sport and this is contact injury. He doesn’t know the why’s necessarily currently but he knows that he’s not going to be worse. He’s going to be better from all those things.”
Phillips sustained the injury when his right knee hit teammate Jordan Poyer’s helmet as both tried to chase down Titans running back Tony Pollard. He was given a knee brace and initially tried to play through it before leaving for good in the third quarter. The ACL tear, however, happened when the knee collided with Poyer’s helmet, and returning to the game did not cause any additional damage for Phillips, according to McDaniel.
“If it turned into flag football, that would’ve been the only way to avoid it,” McDaniel said before again emphasizing that “it was a contact injury,”
With Phillips out for the year, the Dolphins only have four edge rushers on the roster in Emmanuel Ogbah, Quinton Bell as well as rookies Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara. Two additional edge rushers — Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode — are still not ready to return after both suffered season-ending knee injuries in 2023. Bell and Robinson will likely see the biggest boosts in playing time in Phillips’ absence.
“They get to collectively put forth a lot of work that they’re absolutely, positively prepared for,” McDaniel said, later adding that “there was a tremendous amount of game reps to learn from and go through in training camp. The key thing is you’re not trying to be Jaelan Phillips in just one person.”
Bell was the second-highest rated defensive player against the Titans, per Pro Football Focus, and has lived several NFL lives since the then-Oakland Raiders drafted him in the seventh round in 2019. The former receiver-turned-outside-linebacker impressed during training camp and earned a 53-man roster spot. Prior to the Phillips’ announcement, Bell felt for his teammate but confirmed he’s ready to step up.
“Obviously I’m praying for my brother – it’s never good to see anybody get hurt,” Bell said, later adding that starting “would be amazing just to go out there and play meaningful defensive snaps. But whatever role that the team gives me I’ll be grateful for it and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
Robinson, on the other hand, is a bit more raw as a prospect. The Dolphins have used the former Penn State Nittany Lion primarily on passing downs as he has room to improve as run stopper, though he has received more snaps in recent weeks.
Robinson has “grown a lot just because we ask a lot from edge defenders in our defense,” McDaniel said in early September. Specifically, the former Penn State edge rusher has learned “how to play the game within the game” and improved his “situational awareness.”
