In 2024, Miami Dolphins pass rusher season was cut short for a second year in a row due to an ACL tear that forced him out of the starting lineup too soon. After a successful surgery on Wednesday, Phillips is now prepared to start his rehabilitation.
“The surgery went well! On the path to recuperation 🦾,” He said on the defunct Twitter platform, X.
He will begin his rehabilitation with the hope of returning for the start of next season; however, the typical recovery period for a torn ACL could extend into the beginning of the 2025-26 season. This marks the second consecutive year that Phillips has faced a significant lower-body injury, following his Achilles tear in Week 12 of last season.
When healthy, he has proven to be a game-changer for the Dolphins’ defense. In his first two and a half seasons in the NFL, before suffering the Achilles injury, he tallied 22 sacks in 42 games, along with 24 tackles for loss and 52 quarterback hits. The Dolphins’ pass rush has struggled without him, lacking a true edge disruptor in his absence.
Dolphins’ pass rush struggling without Jaelan Phillips
For the second year in a row, Jaelan Phillips’ season-ending injury has severely harmed the Miami Dolphins. The issue has been particularly severe this season, when Miami desperately needs its defense to step up and take the weight.
The Dolphins have managed just nine sacks over their first five games, ranking tied for 26th in the NFL. Only the Bengals, Panthers, and Falcons have recorded fewer, which is not an ideal group to be associated with when assessing defensive effectiveness. The absence of Phillips due to injury, along with the departure of star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency last offseason, has left the Dolphins’ defensive front lacking the explosiveness needed to disrupt opposing offenses effectively.
On the offensive side, the Dolphins are also struggling significantly without Tua Tagovailoa, who has been sidelined since Week 2 due to another concerning concussion. Head coach Mike McDaniel has rotated through quarterbacks, including Skylar Thompson, Tim Boyle, and now Tyler Huntley, in an attempt to get the offense back on track. Unfortunately, these efforts have not yielded results, as the unit has failed to score more than 15 points in any game since Tagovailoa’s injury.
While the defense has remained solid despite the lack of a pass rush, it now carries the burden of making big plays and maintaining airtight coverage throughout games to compensate for an ineffective offense. Without Phillips, they are missing one of their most dynamic playmakers, leading to a series of games that feel like field position battles rather than showcase performances.
Leave a Reply