Jaelan Phillips says trade to Eagles is ‘the greatest thing that’s happened to me’
The 26-year-old edge rusher is thrilled to be in Philly, where he is reunited with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
Jaelan Phillips is feeling the Philadelphia love in the most common form of Gen Z affirmation.
“I got about 20 times the amount of Instagram likes that I ever got on a post before from the Philly fans so shoutout to y’all,” Phillips said Thursday after going through his first practice with the Eagles since they acquired him from the Miami Dolphins Monday for a third-round pick.
Phillips’ welcome has been warm, he said. Inside the locker room, too. The native Californian who played his college football at UCLA and Miami, and who spent his first four-plus seasons with the Dolphins, said he loves Philadelphia’s weather and is looking forward to exploring his new city.
“I thought I was excited day one … talk to me now," the 26-year-old edge rusher said. “This is literally the greatest thing that’s happened to me in my whole life probably.”
Why?
“I just think it’s a pivotal point in my life and in my career,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he and his fiancée, Samantha, are soon expecting a baby boy. That, plus the fact that he is in a contract season, makes a perfect storm for the “pivotal point” Phillips mentioned. He’s planning to take it “day-by-day” but said the Eagles are a team and a place where he’d see himself long-term.
“I just truly feel like this is an amazing opportunity for me to come in and I’m just grateful to do everything I can to help the team, too,” he said.
Phillips, who had three sacks in nine games with the Dolphins, should be expected to bring that help pretty quickly. Phillips has the third-highest pressure rate in the NFL since Week 5 and his pass rush win rate (19.3%) and pressure rate (18.1%), according to Pro Football Focus, are tops among Eagles rushers. Add on the fact that Phillips is familiar with Vic Fangio, having played for him in Miami in 2023, and the learning curve should lessen.
It has been a few years, so Phillips said there will be a slight adjustment to Fangio’s system. Phillips said the scheme gives rushers “a lot of freedom, and a lot of just ability to pin our ears back and be aggressive.” Phillips was having his most productive season when he was with Fangio in 2023. He had 6½ sacks in eight games before an Achilles injury cut his season short.
It remains to be seen what Phillips’ role will be right away. The Eagles are expected to get Nolan Smith back from injured reserve for Monday’s game in Green Bay, and could have Brandon Graham joining the edge rusher rotation, too. The group looks a lot different and deeper heading into this game than it did a few weeks ago.
“Vic isn’t a man of many words,” Phillips said when asked what his conversations were like with Fangio and what his role might be. “There haven’t been a ton of extensive conversations, but I think we understand each other so I think we’re on the same page.”
Phillips has some history with the Eagles. The teams held a joint practice in 2022 and Phillips had a sack in a 2023 loss to the Eagles.
» READ MORE: Eagles at Packers in Week 10: Here are the numbers that matter
“I remember thinking, ‘Man, this guy can go and he’s big,’” Nick Sirianni said of 6-foot-5 Phillips. “Explosive player, able to get to the quarterback, violent in the run game, can create a lot of disruption.”
The 2022 joint practice, which happened during training camp ahead of Phillips’ second season, also featured Phillips putting Jason Kelce in his place. Kelce wasn’t practicing and was trash talking with Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Phillips turned to Kelce and said “shut up, eyebrows, you aren’t even practicing,” Kelce said on his podcast, New Heights.
“That was probably the best, quickest roast I’ve had,” Phillips said Thursday. “So I’m kind of proud of that one. But what I remember from the joint practice was the Eagles are a tough, physical team, a gritty bunch of guys. That’s what I’m expecting here as well.”
He’s expecting to bring some of that himself.
“Tenacity and hard work,” Phillips said when asked what he’ll bring to the Eagles. “Obviously when I get on the field, when I’m at my best, I feel like I’m a very productive and disruptive player. But most of all I think my effort stands out and that’s something that, coming here, having the opportunity to prove myself, I think is going to be a great thing for me. Almost like a chip on my shoulder you can say.”