The Philadelphia Eagles' pass rush took a big blow when they lost 2025 mid-season acquisition Jaelan Phillips to free agency. The former Miami Dolphins star was just a mid-year rental in the City of Brotherly Love, walking away from Philadelphia just months after the Eagles gave up a third-rounder to get him.
However, as good a player as Phillips is, the Carolina Panthers may have been a little too desperate to get the defender. Phillips got a four-year, $120 million deal that included $80 million in total guarantees. That might be a little too rich, and the Panthers may come to regret it sooner rather than later.
Jaelan Phillips is a Good Player, but the Panthers Overpaid
Phillips started all 17 regular-season games last season, nine in Miami and eight in Philadelphia. All in all, he finished the campaign with 53 total tackles (29 solo), seven tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, 5.0 sacks, four passes defensed, and two fumbles recovered. Those are decent numbers, but not $30-million-a-year-caliber numbers.
Pro Football Focus ranked Phillips No. 34 among 115 eligible edge rushers, after he'd earned a 74.0 overall grade. He was slightly better in pass-rush grade (77.1, 20th), but he left a lot to be desired against the run (59.4, 75th).
On top of his issues against the running game -- he missed 18.5 percent of his tackles and had just 31 run stops in 331 run-defense snaps -- he wasn't much of a headhunter. Getting just five sacks shouldn't grant any player such a major payday in a league where numbers are everything.
Phillips did have the fifth-most hurries among edge rushers (51), and he had 73 total pressures, the ninth-most. That said, guys have to finish plays, and Phillips was often either too erratic, found himself out of position after gambling too much, or got stopped just before reaching the opposing quarterback.
Of course, that's not to say he's not a good player. He's a starting-caliber guy, and the Eagles now need to find a strong replacement for their pass-rush unit. Then again, there's a difference between being a good player and a superstar, and he's making superstar-type money without having a true breakout season.
Phillips is now the eighth-highest-paid edge rusher in the game. According to Over The Cap, he'll make more than the likes of Trey Hendrickson, Josh Hines-Allen, Brian Burns, and Nik Bonitto, and just below what Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa are making. That move reeked of desperation, and they may come to regret it in Carolina pretty soon.