PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles found their edge. Or at least they hope so.
The Birds acquired pass rusher Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick, the team confirmed Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline.
The Eagles have been searching for help on the edge amid departures, injuries and inconsistent production. They placed Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) on injured reserve over the weekend, and Ogbo Okoronkwo (triceps) landed on IR late last month. Third-year pro Nolan Smith (triceps) has been out since September, aiming to return next week.
Through eight games, the Birds (6-2) have 16 sacks, a bottom-third figure in the league despite better showings recently.
Phillips, 26, was a first-round pick (No. 18 overall) out of the University of Miami in 2021 and reunites with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who coached him with the Dolphins in 2023. Fangio left Miami after that season and was hired by the Eagles in January 2024.
At 6-foot-5, 263 pounds, Phillips brings burst and length off the edge and a proven ability to finish. He has three sacks this season and 26 in his career, despite an Achilles tear that ended his 2023 campaign in Week 12. He opened 2024 on the active PUP list as he completed rehab but played just four games before tearing his ACL.
The contract fit is straightforward. Miami exercised Phillips’ fifth-year option, which pays a fully guaranteed $13.25 million for 2025. The Eagles will pay the prorated portion of that. Any commitment beyond this year would require an extension or use of the franchise tag.
For Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, the calculus is clear: Add a proven closer to infuse a thinned pass rush.
Phillips’ ability to get off the line of scrimmage and break blocks, along with his his long-arm technique, align with Fangio’s preference for four-man rush principles and simulated-pressure looks. (It was a four-man attack that prevailed in Super Bowl LIX over the Kansas City Chiefs in February, as the Eagles consistently generated pressure without blitzing.) Phillips’ familiarity with Fangio’s scheme should accelerate his onboarding.
The need has been acute. In addition to losing Okoronkwo and Ojulari to IR, plus the free-agency loss of Josh Sweat after the last season, the Eagles have cycled through veterans and young players in search of answers.
Phillips could give the Eagles a flexible piece who can align outside the tackle box or move inside on certain looks, freeing Fangio to mix fronts and keep pass rushers fresher. If Phillips’ production matches his advertised pedigree — and if he stacks healthy weeks — he could provide a key late-season and postseason boost.
Time will tell. But Philadelphia, which has leaned on its front four during its recent contention window, is betting that a first-round talent on a cost-controlled option year is the right deadline strategy (nothing new for Roseman). The price, a future third-rounder, keeps the premium picks intact while addressing a specific roster hole.
Phillips is escaping a floundering Dolphins franchise that just fired its GM and has a 2-7 record. He’s expected to report to NovaCare Complex immediately and be available after physicals are finalized.
In a deadline market light on true every-down edge help, the Eagles landed one of the few pass rushers with dynamic playmaking traits and team-friendly control.
The move comes just days after the Birds acquired outside cornerback Jaire Alexander from Baltimore, ostensibly to solidify their leaky CB2 spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell. They also dealt for CB/S Michael Carter II from the Jets last week.
With Alexander and Phillips in the fold, the Eagles hope they’ve aggressively addressed their two glaring needs. But it doesn’t mean Roseman, who has spent the last two offseasons amassing draft capital, is finished.
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Follow Christiaan DeFanco on X at @the_defranc.
