The Miami Dolphins traded pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick, according to league sources.
Why they made the move
The Eagles have 16 sacks this season, tied for the ninth-fewest in the league, ranking only ahead of the San Francisco 49ers (11 sacks) and Jacksonville Jaguars (10) among teams currently in the playoff field. And only about a quarter of that production has come from the Eagles’ edge rush. Philadelphia has only generated 4.5 sacks from edge rushers this season, with 1.5 of those coming from the now-retired Za’Darius Smith.
The Eagles were an average pass-rushing team in 2023 and 2024 after their extraordinary 70-sack output in 2022, so this issue has been building for a while. Phillips, a first-round pick in 2021, has plenty of physical ability when healthy. He tallied 22 sacks in his first 42 games, but he tore his Achilles in 2023 and his ACL in 2024. He has three sacks so far this season.
Eagles’ trade grade: A-
The defending Super Bowl champions are the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they’re in dogged pursuit of another ring. You must always respect bold moves in a situation like this.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had the same role with the Dolphins in 2023, so he’s familiar with Phillips. Fangio’s peers have always admired his ability to identify his scheme and personality fits, so you can be sure the Eagles will have a sound plan to maximize Phillips’ production as they attempt to topple the conference for the third time in four years.
Howie Roseman deserves credit for how aggressive he is about addressing thin spots on the roster. He typically sees the same thing you do.
Cornerback during 2017 training camp? He trades for Ronald Darby.
Wide receiver after free agency in 2022? He trades for A.J. Brown.…
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) November 3, 2025
Dolphins’ trade grade: B+
The Dolphins parted with longtime general manager Chris Grier on Friday as they continue to reel from a 2-7 start to the season. Phillips is playing on his fifth-year option and will be a free agent after the season, so it appears the Dolphins are willing to reset the books as much as possible for their next front office leader.
Even with the 26-year-old’s potential, Phillips’ injury history was probably too tough to overlook while trying to identify in-house pieces who can be part of the Dolphins’ long-term solution. And with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s contract appearing to be more of an obstacle, the Dolphins have to be careful with their contracts in the immediate future.
This could be the sign of more moves to come before Tuesday’s trade deadline.