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Jaelan Phillips

2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 24th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 2 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2021 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement and performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:

  1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars ($25.66MM): To be exercised
  2. QB Zach Wilson, Broncos* ($22.41MM)
  3. QB Trey Lance, Cowboys** ($22.41MM)
  4. TE Kyle Pitts, Falcons ($10.88MM)
  5. WR Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals ($21.82MM): Exercised
  6. WR Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins ($15.59MM): To be exercised
  7. T Penei Sewell, Lions ($19MM): Extended through 2029
  8. CB Jaycee Horn, Panthers ($12.47MM): Exercised
  9. CB Patrick Surtain, Broncos ($19.82MM): Exercised
  10. WR DeVonta Smith, Eagles ($15.59MM): Extended through 2028
  11. QB Justin Fields, Steelers*** ($25.66MM): To be declined
  12. DE Micah Parsons, Cowboys ($21.32MM): Exercised
  13. T Rashawn Slater, Chargers ($19MM): Exercised
  14. OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jets ($13.31MM): Exercised
  15. QB Mac Jones, Jaguars**** ($25.66MM)
  16. LB Zaven Collins, Cardinals ($13.25MM)
  17. T Alex Leatherwood, Raiders: N/A
  18. LB Jaelan Phillips, Dolphins ($13.3MM): To be exercised
  19. LB Jamin Davis, Commanders ($14.48MM): Declined
  20. WR Kadarius Toney, Chiefs***** ($14.35MM)
  21. DE Kwity Paye, Colts ($13.4MM)
  22. CB Caleb Farley, Titans ($12.47MM)
  23. T Christian Darrisaw, Vikings ($16MM)
  24. RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($6.79MM): Expected to be exercised
  25. RB Travis Etienne, Jaguars ($6.14MM): To be exercised
  26. CB Greg Newsome, Browns ($13.38MM): To be exercised
  27. WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens ($14.35MM): Extended through 2026
  28. DE Payton Turner, Saints ($13.39MM)
  29. CB Eric Stokes, Packers ($12.47MM)
  30. DE Greg Rousseau, Bills ($13.39MM)
  31. LB Odafe Oweh, Ravens ($13.25MM)
  32. LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Buccaneers ($13.25MM)

* = Jets traded Wilson on April 22, 2024
** = 49ers traded Lance on August 25, 2023
*** = Bears traded Fields on March 16, 2024
**** = Patriots traded Jones on March 10, 2024
***** = Giants traded Toney on October 27, 2022

Dolphins To Exercise OLB Jaelan Phillips’ Fifth-Year Option

April 16th, 2024 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Jaylen Waddle is on Miami’s extension radar, the team is making the clear-cut decision to push his rookie contract through 2025 via the fifth-year option. The other Dolphins 2021 first-round pick will also see his deal extended by a year.

Despite going down with an Achilles tear on Black Friday, Jaelan Phillips will secure some additional guarantees soon. The Dolphins are planning to exercise the edge rusher’s fifth-year option by the May 2 deadline, GM Chris Grier said Tuesday (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson). The option is fully guaranteed.

Because Phillips’ injury trouble limited him to eight games last season, the zero-time Pro Bowler’s option number is set to come in at $13.3MM. That doubles as the lowest tier for linebackers on this year’s option structure. Phillips needed to play at least 50% of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps in each of his three seasons or cross the 75% snap barrier in two of the three. The ex-Miami Hurricanes cog would have been on track to cross the first of those thresholds had he not suffered the Achilles tear; that would have made the option number $14.5MM.

Phillips, 24, flashed as a rookie by recording 8.5 sacks under Brian Flores in 2021. In 2022, the 6-foot-5 edge defender posted a career-high 25 QB hits. Phillips appeared well on his way to his first double-digit sack season last year; in eight games, Phillips tallied 6.5. Had Phillips not missed three games early last season, he would have been eligible for Tier 3 of this year’s option structure. As a result, the Dolphins will receive a slight discount as they continue to evaluate the player.

The Dolphins committed big dollars to Bradley Chubb‘s extension just after acquiring him at the 2022 deadline, but their edge-rushing situation changed dramatically after the injuries to both starters. Chubb is rehabbing the ACL tear he sustained in Week 17. By the wild-card round, Miami needed to plug in a few emergency free agents — from Melvin Ingram to Justin Houston to Bruce Irvin. The Dolphins now have Shaq Barrett in the fold; the veteran may well be needed to start if one of the rehabbing edges is not ready to go in Week 1.

Re-emerging by Week 1 will be the goal for Phillips, who seems likely to begin training camp on the active/PUP list. A transfer to the reserve/PUP list would mean four missed games. Phillips has a big opportunity ahead, with a return to his pre-injury form setting up either a pricey extension or this contract coming with another team.

The Dolphins have identified some players they want to extend — from Waddle to Jevon Holland to Tua Tagovailoa. With Chubb and Tyreek Hill tied to lucrative deals, other corners could need to be cut. But a Phillips extension profiles as a back-burner issue. The Dolphins’ payroll could look quite different by the time a second Phillips contract goes on the books.

Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips Aiming To Return In Week 1?

April 13th, 2024 at 6:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins’ defense was severely shorthanded to close out the 2023 season, and the unit was without edge rusher Jaelan Phillips after Miami’s Black Friday contest. He could be back in the fold by the start of the coming campaign, however.

While appearing at a University of Miami spring game on Saturday, Phillips said, “I’ll definitely be back healthy for the season” (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). That declaration may not mean he will be available for Week 1 in 2024, but an early return to the field would represent a massive boost to the Dolphins’ edge contingent. Phillips is rehabbing the Achilles tear which brought an end to his third NFL season.

That injury comes with a particularly long recovery timeline, though players in recent years have been succesful in cutting down on the time needed to rehab effectively. Taking the field in Week 1 in Phillips’ case would represent roughly 10 months from the time of his injury, the first of his tenure with the Dolphins. Of course, the former first-rounder’s college career was marred by a number of ailments, so his ability to return to full health will be a key storyline to follow over the coming months.

If Phillips can indeed suit up for the start of the 2024 season, Miami will have an impact starter available along the edge. The 24-year-old racked up 6.5 sacks in eight contests last campaign, putting him on track to eclipse his career high in that regard (8.5). Expectations will be high for him whenever he is able to take the field, especially given the uncertainty the team has at the outside linebacker spot for the time being.

Bradley Chubb is rehabbing an ACL tear suffered in December, and the Dolphins’ only move in free agency along the edge has been the addition of Shaquil Barrett. While Chubb is on track to play at some point in 2024, Barry reports Cameron Goode is “very much in question” to be in the lineup early in the campaign. For that reason, Barry adds Miami should be expected to add one or two rookies during or after the upcoming draft.

The Dolphins own six selections this year, though only two of them fall within the first four rounds. Drafting one of the top edge rush options on the board would thus come as little surprise, although in any event a healthy Phillips would help Miami’s front seven as it transitions under new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/28/23

November 28th, 2023 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed to active roster: CB Ekow Boye-Doe

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Following the addition of Michael Carter and the return of Emari Demercado, the Cardinals didn’t have any room for Keaontay Ingram. The 2022 sixth-round pick got into 20 games across one-plus seasons in Arizona, collecting 181 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. If the running back passes through waivers, there’s a chance he lands on the Cardinals practice squad.

Charlie Heck is back on the Texans active roster after missing the first two-plus months of the season. The offensive lineman was recovering from a back injury that “involved sciatica that went down to his foot,” per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The former fourth-round pick will look to carve out a role after starting 17 of his 35 NFL appearances through his first three seasons in the NFL.

Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips Suffers Achilles Tear

November 25th, 2023 at 12:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 25: An MRI has confirmed that Phillips tore his Achilles and will miss the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

NOVEMBER 24: The Dolphins’ defense looks to have suffered a signficant loss. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips departed Miami’s Black Friday victory after suffering a non-contact injury which caused him to be carted off the field.

The Dolphins quickly ruled Phillips out with an Achilles injury. Given the timing of their announcement and the nature of the play in which he went down, fears of an Achilles tear have emerged. The fact the injury took place at MetLife Stadium – which has been the subject of widespread criticism for the number of major injuries suffered there – certainly does not help in that regard.

More is yet to be discovered with post-game testing, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Phillips has been described by a Dolphins staffer as “another MetLife victim.” That points to a signficant absence being in store for the 24-year-old, something which would mark a major blow to his third season with the Dolphins and the team’s pass rush. Phillips posted 5.5 sacks in seven games heading into today’s win over the Jets, and he added another prior to exiting the contest.

The former first-rounder had an injury history dating back to college, having been limited to 10 contests across two seasons at UCLA. After briefly retiring from football, Phillips transferred to Miami and delivered a strong campaign. That helped his draft stock, and optimism for his future as an impact edge rusher increased when he recorded 8.5 sacks as a rookie. Phillips managed to play a full regular season that year, and he did so again in 2022 while collecting seven sacks and taking on a larger snap share. His workload (73% snap rate) in 2023 matched that of last season, meaning he will be difficult to replace moving forward presuming he is forced to miss time.

Bradley Chubb is in place as a starter on the edge for Miami, after he signed a lucrative extension upon his arrival. After being traded midseason by the Broncos in 2022, Chubb has collected 8.5 sacks in 18 regular season Dolphins contests. Emmanuel Ogbah will likely be tasked with filling in for Phillips, something which will mark a signficant jump in playing time for the former. Ogbah has seen a snap share of just 21% this season, and a report from last month lists him as a cut candidate after the campaign.

Ogbah is attached to a $15MM salary in 2023, and the Dolphins would see considerable cap savings by moving on this offseason. The veteran could help his chances of remaining in Miami, or at least boost his free agent stock after being released, with a strong showing down the stretch. The fact he will likely be thrust into a first-team role, however, is a sign of how shorthanded Miami’s pass rush could find itself to close out a promising campaign.

Latest On Emmanuel Ogbah’s Future With The Dolphins

October 7th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Emmanuel Ogbah‘s stint with the Dolphins will end after the 2023 campaign. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, the organization is expected to release the edge rusher following the season.

The Dolphins are eyeing a cap crunch next offseason, and they’ll need to make some difficult decisions up and down their roster. Fortunately for the front office, moving on from Ogbah’s untenable cap hold is one of the easier decision to make.

The veteran is currently attached to a $17.8MM cap hit in 2024, and the Dolphins would be left with only $2MM in dead cap if they let him go. Ogbah inked a four-year, $65MM extension with the Dolphins during the 2022 offseason.

The former Browns second-round pick had two productive seasons to begin his Miami tenure, collecting 18 sacks between the 2020 and 2021 campaign. His 2022 season was limited to only nine games thanks to a triceps issue, but he wasn’t very productive before suffering the season-ending injury, compiling just one sack. He’s seen time in all four games this season but has been limited to only 27 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

With Andrew Van Ginkel also set to hit free agency, the Dolphins are eyeing a 2024 edge corps that consists of former first-round pick Jaelan Phillips and veteran Bradley Chubb. After trading a first-round pick to Denver for Chubb, the Dolphins inked the star edge rusher to an $110MM extension. However, the Pro Bowler hasn’t lived up to his deal during his time in Miami, with Chubb collecting only 3.5 sacks in 12 games with the organization. As Jackson notes, the Dolphins would have a tough time moving off Chubb’s contract thanks in part to his fully-guaranteed $19.75MM base salary.

Dolphins Sign First-Round DE Jaelan Phillips

June 9th, 2021 at 1:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Dolphins have their other first-round pick under wraps. After quickly signing Jaylen Waddle in mid-May, they’ve now inked the 18th overall pick from that weekend.

Miami has signed defensive end Jaelan Phillips to his rookie contract, the team announced Wednesday. A Miami product, Phillips won’t have to move very far to start his pro career. A decorated recruit out of high school, Phillips started his college career at UCLA and was very highly regarded. Unfortunately concussions and other injuries caused him to medically retire from football in 2018, before he reversed course and returned to play at Miami last year.

Phillips was a second-team All-American for the Hurricanes last season, as he finished with 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 10 games. Scouts were very high on his talent, although there were naturally some concerns about his medicals.

Clearly teams felt comfortable enough, as he was a consensus first-rounder entering the draft. It’s often been stated that had it not been for his medical issues at UCLA, he would’ve been a top-ten pick.

The Dolphins don’t have a ton at edge rusher after cutting Kyle Van Noy this offseason, so Phillips should see a lot of immediate playing time if he’s ready. Miami now has four of their seven picks locked up.

Dolphins Select Miami DL Jaelan Phillips At No. 18

April 29th, 2021 at 9:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Jaelan Phillips won’t have to make a major (literal) move from college to the pros. The Dolphins have selected the Miami defensive lineman with the No. 18 pick.

Standing at 6-foot-5, the 286-pound prospect is one of the most intimidating prospects in the draft. He earned his early-round draft stock thanks to a breakout 2020 campaign that saw him finish with eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss (after having compiled 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss through his first two collegiate seasons). His performance in 2020 earned him second-team All-American and second-team All-ACC honors, and it also caused his draft stock to rise.

Phillips has experience on the edge and playing with hands on the ground, and this versatility will surely be utilized by his new squad. A brief injury history resulted in him being ranked lower on some pundits’ pre-draft rankings, but the defensive lineman has as much potential as any of the draft’s top defensive prospects. The Dolphins front office is presumably thrilled to add a player of Phillips’ caliber at this point in the draft.

The Dolphins were busy prior to the draft (via trades), but it seems like their night is probably over. Miami is currently armed with four more picks in the draft:

  • Round 2: Nos. 36 (from Texans), 50
  • Round 3: No. 81
  • Round 5: No. 156 (from Cowboys through Eagles)
  • Round 7: Nos. 231 (from Texans), 244 (from Washington)