Dolphins deal edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to Eagles for 2026 third-round pick
Let the fire sale begin.
The Miami Dolphins traded edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, a source confirmed.
“No one wants to lose a good player, but you do things for the best interest of your football team both in the short- and long-term,” coach Mike McDaniel said Monday afternoon, later calling Phillips a player whom he not only invested into but also held in “high regard.”
“This is the part of the business I absolutely dislike in terms of having to say goodbye to a player,” McDaniel added.
The trade comes amid the Dolphins’ 2-7 start to the season and just days after the franchise mutually parted ways with former general manager Chris Grier, who reportedly was unwilling to trade the 26-year-old. Phillips, however, is currently on an expiring contract; the decision to send him to a contender — one in need of pass rush help — only made sense. Still, the former University of Miami standout did not want to be dealt, even publicly stating that just hours after the Dolphins’ embarrassing 28-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday.
“It’s out of my control,” said Phillips, who has recorded 25 tackles, three sacks and recovered one fumble in his nine starts this season. “I would love to stay here. But if I get traded, I get traded.”
The deal, which will require Miami to pay a portion of the edge rusher’s salary, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, reunites Phillips with former Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who was in Miami during the 2023 season. Phillips had 6.5 sacks in eight starts that year before he sustained a season-ending injury.
“He’s improved in his fundamentals,” Fangio said of what stood out about Phillips in August 2024. “Both what happens early in the down and late in the down. I’ve been very pleased with his play. I think if he continues to improve on the little things, great things will happen because of his talent.”
Drafted no. 18 overall by the Dolphins in 2021, Phillips set a franchise rookie record for sacks with 8.5. He followed that up with seven sacks during his second year.
Then came the injuries. After appearing in 35 total games, including one in the postseason, during his first two years in the NFL, he has played just 21 since.
Phillips initially tore his right Achilles during a November 2023 game against the New York Jets. He returned during training camp of the 2024 season — only to partially tear his ACL during a Week 4 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
When healthy, however, Phillips has the tools — size, speed, length — necessary to be a premier pass rusher. He has racked up 26 sacks throughout his five-year career, in addition to 28 tackles for loss, 61 quarterback hits and four fumble recoveries. And while the sack numbers haven’t been particularly high in 2025, Phillips currently ranks sixth in quarterback hurries and 11th in pressures among all edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus.
With the trade deadline 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Dolphins and interim GM Champ Kelly might not be done. The Dolphins are officially open for business as they look to stockpile draft picks. As of this writing, Miami currently holds eight picks (one in the first round, another in the second, three in the third, a fourth, fifth and seventh) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Conversations happen every single year,” McDaniel said of another potential move. “Sometimes, there are more reports than actual reality. Oftentimes that’s the case. But you’re always having conversations, you’re always ready for whatever.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 7:42 AM.
