The last thing the Miami Dolphins need this fall is another season with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa dealing with injuries. But if there’s a last thing the Dolphins need for their defense, it might be another injury to edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, they appear to have avoided a significant injury to Phillips on Saturday.
The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly reported on X that Phillips left practice “after what seemed like he tweaked something.” Kelly also tweeted that the Dolphins trainers looked at Phillips’ left knee.
But about 20 minutes after those tweets, Phillips clarified on X that he is fine.
“I just got leg whipped yall, chill out,” Phillips posted with a laughing emoji on his social media account. “Just a bruise.”
Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips Leaves Training Camp With Injury
Kelly wasn’t the only one who initially had a concerning update on the edge rusher’s knee. Kelly’s colleague at The Miami Herald, Barry Jackson, had more details that weren’t exactly favorable.
“Phillips stood on the sideline with his helmet in his hand for a while, trying to determine if he could jog without an issue. He seemed to determine that he could not jog comfortably and then walked to the opposite side of the field to meet with a team trainer, taking a seat on a team cooler, before walking under his own power into the team facility,” wrote Jackson.
“A trainer worked on his leg while it was stretched out, then worked on his left knee.
“Phillips was walking gingerly, with something of a limp but not a major limp.”
The Dolphins will likely provide a more detailed update. But based on Phillips’ tweet, the edge rusher was having trouble jogging because of the bruise he sustained.
Phillips’ NFL Injury History Since 2023
The edge rusher clearly saw the initial response to his injury as an overreaction. But one can hardly blame pundits and fans for being concerned because of the edge rusher’s recent history.
Phillips ended each of the past two seasons on injured reserve with significant lower-body issues. In 2023, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Last season, Phillips tore his right ACL during Week 4.
Before his injuries, Phillips, who the Dolphins drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, was averaging about a sack every other game in his career.
Since returning from his Achilles tear, Phillips has posted just one sack. But he has also played only four games.
Over the past two seasons, Phillips has dressed for 12 contests. The Dolphins defense actually improved statistically in 2024. But getting back the 26-year-old, who is capable of leading the team in sacks, would still be a major boost.
Miami drafted Phillips at No. 18 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He posted 8.5 sacks with nine tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits as a rookie in 2021.
During 2022, he had seven sacks with eight tackles for loss and 25 quarterback hits.
Without Phillips for most of the 2024 campaign, defensive end Zach Sieler emerged as the team’s leading pass rusher. Rookie Chop Robinson also broke out during the second half of 2024.
Sieler and Robinson combined for 16 sacks last season. If Phillips can stay healthy, those three edge rushers are the foundation for a potential dominate Miami defense this season.
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