At least one member of the Dolphins‘ pass rush tandem will be on the move ahead of the trade deadline. A deal involving Jaelan Phillips was discussed late Sunday night, with the terms emerging early Monday morning. 
The Dolphins are sending Phillips to the Eagles, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A 2026 third-round pick is heading the other way. Schefter clarifies the selection Miami is acquiring is Philadelphia’s own (one of two picks in that round the team had).
This move represents yet another piece of midseason business on the part of Eagles GM Howie Roseman. The team had already swung three trades since the beginning of the campaign, with the two most recent deals (for Michael Carter II from the Jets and fellow cornerback Jaire Alexander from the Ravens) being aimed at adding depth on defense. Pass rush remained an area of concern heading into the deadline, however. As such, many pointed to Philadelphia as a destination for an edge rusher in general and Phillips in particular. This swap was discussed for more than one week, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated adds.
The 26-year-old overlapped with Vic Fangio in 2023. Fangio was in Miami as the team’s defensive coordinator for that campaign before taking on the same role with the Eagles. That season, Phillips notched 6.5 sacks despite being limited to just eight games. The former first-rounder only managed to play four games last season, and injury concerns were a talking point with respect to his trade value. Nevertheless, Phillips – alongside teammate Bradley Chubb – has long been mentioned as a player on the radar of interested teams. He is attached to his fifth-year option, making this a rental move.
Phillips’ base salary for 2025 ($13.25MM) made him one of the more expensive options in terms of finances, even with a portion of that figure already having been paid out. To help facilitate this deal, Miami is taking on money. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Dolphins are retaining some of Phillips’ remaining salary in return for a higher draft pick.
A third-rounder appears to be a relatively steep price for a rental, but the Eagles have been in need of help along the edge all year. The defending Super Bowl champions lost Josh Sweat in free agency and traded away Bryce Huff this past offseason. Za’Darius Smith elected to hang up his cleats during the campaign, while Brandon Graham recently unretired to play a 16th season with Philadelphia.
When Graham makes his season debut, it will be as a depth member of a defensive end group now featuring Phillips along with the likes of Nolan Smith (when healthy) and Jalyx Hunt. Phillips has handled a snap share of 71% or higher three times in his career, and a notable workload can be expected down the stretch as a member of the Eagles. Returning to the form he showed under Fangio would provide a critical boost to Philadelphia’s front seven while also helping his free agent stock (something which would be welcomed since the UCLA and Miami alum has notched just three sacks in 2025).
For the Dolphins, meanwhile, this news comes as little surprise. The decision to move on from general manager Chris Grier came just before the trade deadline, leading many to believe a shift in approach would take place. Indeed, reports from the past few days have indicated interim GM Champ Kelly will be more willing to entertain offers leading up to tomorrow afternoon’s deadline. It will thus be interesting to see if more moves are coming for Miami, a 2-7 team which will use the remainder of the season to evaluate head coach Mike McDaniel‘s job security.
As a result of this trade, the Dolphins now have three third-round picks in 2026. That capital will be key in helping the team add needed cost-controlled players moving forward, regardless of who is in place as general manager by the time April’s draft takes place. As for the Eagles, they entered Monday with roughly $11.5MM in cap space. This Phillips deal will eat into that figure but room for even more activity on the trade front could exist if Roseman finds a low-cost rental in the near future.
I’m cautious about all three of these midseason trades. Although Howie has been stellar overall with draft day trades and picks , his mid-season trade history has had a lot of busts. Hopefully these moves buck that trend.
I mean great player but that is STEEP
He’ll flip draft pick after draft pick to make up for it, but having Miami eat a good portion of the contract was important to getting this done. If he comes in and performs it’ll be worth the rental.
Mid season trades don’t usually make an impact with the exception of DL. Having played in the system before.
The Eagles kept the higher of their 3rd round picks, so it’s essentially a high 4th. They are in a win-now mode so these are the kind of trades you need to make. Howie can recoup that pick through other trades later, if necessary.
If he leaves after the season are we eligible for a comp pick? If so, say we get a 4th or 5th. So a pick swap for a player and Miami retains money. Not too painful.
Yes, Phillips will be part of the comp pick formula if he ends up signing elsewhere.
How does Howie do it. Like seriously how
he just picks up the phone
Picks up a phone? That’s blasphemy
Plus it’s the eagles pick not the jets third rounder so it’s going to be closer to a 4th round while the jets pick the birds have will be closer to a second.
A third round pick for a rental with an injury history sounds high to me. But maybe Fangio can maximize the move.
But then they got a third from Hassan Reddick deal. It’s like a low cost switcheroo plus eagles have depth on D Line anyway.
It’s easier to make this kind of move when you’re regularly in the practice of having extra picks. It stings less to trade a third when you have the Jets’ third from a Reddick trade you made two years ago, for example. I like the upside play of Phillips here, and if he plays well enough to earn a good contract this offseason, they would likely get a 4th back as a comp pick.
People forget he had back to back major injuries. Same with Chubb.
3rd rounder for a half season rental seems desperate to me…
The cost is minimal. How many third round picks really make a huge impact right away? Teams in the Eagles position need to play for now not two years from now. What a great deal.
Theyll get a 3rd round comp pick back if they don’t resign him…
No guarantee on comp picks with many teams getting hosed based on those types of “expectations” over the past two years.
Howie man…….
The fact that theyll get that pick back as a comp is hilarious bc theyll for sure let him walk. Basically free.
The rich get richer!! Eagles GM does a great job bringing in talented veterans.
I like it! One of the best pass rushers available at the deadline ( if you don’t count Myles and Trey). A 3rd is steep but when you’re goal is to go back-to-back and you’re pass rush is seriously lacking these are the type of moves that become necessary to help reach you’re goal. Howie is doing all he can within reason, Carter II, Alexander, and now Phillips. All you can do as a fan is hope that you’re team has a GM like this that doesn’t sit on their hands hoping things change by themselves ( see Dave Dombrowski)
Everyone is saying this is a rental, but, why would he not sign long term going from a loser to a winner? I know we next have to do both interior guys soon-ish but the D is still pretty cheap. And looking forward to the ’26 draft, it’s probably going to be DE and DB with the first 2 picks anyway, unless you wanna get the Lane Johnson replacement in the building if a value play falls and presents itself. While it doesn’t mean a player will come cheap, the change in scenery makes a difference. You didn’t see Baun looking to do a free agent tour for a reason.