Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips isn’t the only reason the Eagles‘ defense has stepped up in the past two weeks, but he’s high on the list.
At the NFL trade deadline in early November, Philadelphia sent a 2026 third-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for Phillips, a 26-year-old former first-round pick who will be one of the league’s top free agents this spring. Before the trade, the Eagles had given up at least 17 points to each of their first seven opponents.
Since Phillips’ arrival, they’ve held the Packers and Lions — teams boasting two of the league’s best offenses — to seven and nine points, respectively, a season low for both teams.
After the Eagles’ win over Detroit in Week 11, Phillips described his new defensive line.
“Just dominant. Confident, dominant, game-wrecking, just any adjectives you could describe positively,” he told reporters. “It’s amazing to be part of, for sure.”
The trade has taken Phillips to another level. After no more than four tackles in any game with the Dolphins this season, he’s had five and six in his two games with the Eagles. After three total tackles for loss with Miami, he already has two for Philadelphia, including a sack — against All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell no less. And most glaringly, Phillips already has as many wins with the Eagles as he did in nine games with the Dolphins this year.
Jaelan Phillips got past Lions All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell for a sack and two quarterback hits in Philadelphia’s Week 11 win over Detroit. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Phillips seemingly hasn’t needed any adjustment period with the Eagles. He has played more than 75% of the defensive snaps in both games, allowing the team to ease fellow edge Nolan Smith back from a triceps injury in a limited role. Why has Phillips clicked so well so quickly?
“I think that’s a credit to the guys up front, a credit to the coaching, I guess you could say a credit to me just for coming in. … I understood what the mindset of this defense was coming in,” he said. “Being with them for two short weeks, it’s been easy to pick up on that. At the end of the day, it’s just fast, aggressive, play hard. That’s all it comes down to.”
There’s another key reason Phillips has been able to adapt to quickly: his history with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who was in the same role with the Dolphins in 2023. Perhaps the best stretch of Phillips’ NFL career was in the middle of that season, as he had sacks in five straight games before suffering an Achilles injury on Black Friday, almost exactly two years ago.
“I think he’s close to being back to that spot,” Fangio said. “He’s a young player still. He can still get better.”
The 6-foot-5, 266-pound Phillips was limited by injuries the past two seasons in Miami, playing only eight games in 2023 before the Achilles injury and only four last year due to a knee injury. He’s been healthy throughout 2025, and because of the trade, he missed the bye week for both the Dolphins and Eagles and could end up playing 18 games in 18 weeks this season.
“He plays with a great physicality. He plays with a great motor,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Monday. “When we talk about what tough means, it’s mental, physical and relentless effort. He plays with all three of those things. Awesome. Obviously, he’s been a good addition.”
With the addition of Phillips and the return of Smith and defensive end Brandon Graham, who recently came out of retirement, is this resurgent Eagles defense for real? Fangio’s crew will get a significant test on the road Sunday, as the Eagles face a Cowboys offense that ranks second in the NFL in scoring at 29.6 points per game and first in passing yards at 259 per game. The Cowboys have the fifth-lowest sack percentage in the league at 4.3%, so getting to quarterback Dak Prescott will be a challenge.
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When the Eagles won the Super Bowl last season, they did so with a defense ranked No. 1 in yards allowed and No. 2 in scoring. The unit hasn’t been the same this year, but the past two weeks have been a big step in that direction, with a playoff feel because of the tough opponents.
“Those are some of the best games I’ve been a part of, so it’s super exciting,” Phillips said.
Phillips said the trade to the Eagles was “literally the greatest thing that has happened to me in my whole life.” Before long, he’ll experience something with Philadelphia he’s barely known: postseason football. He played in just one playoff game in four seasons in Miami, getting a half-sack and nine tackles in a loss at Buffalo in the 2022 wild-card round.
The idea that his best football is still ahead of him is exciting for Phillips and the Eagles.
“I think we have room to grow, but I think what we’ve been putting on the field so far is domination,” he said. “So just keep improving and stacking them and keep that relentless energy.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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