The Philadelphia Eagles have received some unfortunate news on a top free agent.
Midway through the 2025 NFL campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles knew they needed to add some beef to their pass-rushing rotation, so they went out and swung a trade to acquire Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins.
While Phillips didn't post huge numbers with the Eagles (he managed two sacks in eight games), he made a noticeable difference in Philadelphia's front seven.
The problem is that Phillips is slated to hit free agency next week, and the Eagles' tricky cap situation may make it difficult to retain him.
In fact, Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine already feels that Philadelphia should probably say goodbye to Phillips.
"Jaelan Phillips showed up at the trade deadline last year and saved the pass rush. Now he's a free agent," Ballentine wrote. "Retaining him would help complete the puzzle, but he might have priced himself out of Philly so Akheem Mesidor or Cashius Howell shouldn't be ruled out in the first round."
Jaelan Phillips. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Phillips is projected to land a three-year, $52 million contract (via Spotrac) on the open market, but if the right team comes along, he could certainly get more than that.
The former 2021 first-round pick displayed major promise over his first couple of seasons with the Dolphins, racking up 8.5 sacks during his rookie campaign and following that up by finishing with 61 tackles, seven sacks and 25 quarterback hits in Year 2.
Phillips was then on pace to enjoy the best season of his career in 2023 before tearing his Achilles halfway through the campaign. Then, in 2024, Phillips tore his ACL.
Given his injury history, Phillips represents a risky acquisition for any club in free agency, and it's largely why the Eagles may ultimately let him walk. This even though they dealt a third-round pick for him back in November.
The good news for Philadelphia is that there will be plenty of good edge rushers available this spring, both via free agency and the NFL Draft.
It seems more likely that general manager Howie Roseman will choose to draft a pass rusher rather than potentially overpay an injury-prone veteran who has yet to log a double-digit sack campaign in his NFL career.
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