Latest news with #JaelanPhillips
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Miami Dolphins Top 10 players countdown: Edge rusher Chop Robinson is No. 10
Editor's Note: This is part of a Countdown to Training Camp: Dolphins 2025 series. We'll unveil two players in the Dolphins' top 10 in each of the coming weeks. MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb said he was smiling ear-to-ear watching back the rookie film of teammate Chop Robinson. Advertisement And Chubb said he's seen Robinson taking yet another step. "Chop has put pedal to the metal," Chubb said during organized team activities. Robinson proved worthy of the 21st pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He posted 6 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and 26 tackles. "You look at (Chop) when he came in, man, he didn't know right from left," outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow said. "That's what happens when you're a rookie. And when he started to settle in and figure out the game, then it really opened up for him. So he's still taking off and ascending and he's fun to be around." Why Chop Robinson is 10th-best Miami Dolphins player Robinson has speed and power and a solid work ethic. Advertisement Robinson excelled even when Chubb and Jaelan Phillips were out injured. And so lining up with one or both of them at the same time in 2025 creates even more danger for opponents. "The goals of mine, I just want to keep it to myself," Chop said during offseason workouts. "Just show the world. And show myself." Chop will continue to work on setting an edge against the run. The Dolphins' strongest defensive unit, by far, is the edge rushers room. Telling Stat Chop Robinson had 6 sacks and 14 quarterback hits as a rookie. That ranked second in the NFL among first-year players in each category. Braden Fiske and Jared Verse of the Rams were first. INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Chop Robinson #44 of the Miami Dolphins reacts after sacking Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter in the game at SoFi Stadium on November 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) How we see Chop Robinson's Dolphins future Robinson should be a fixture in the Dolphins defense for at least the next three or four years. Advertisement Chubb re-worked his deal to return in 2025. Phillips could be a free agent after 2025. Robinson says he has an offseason focused more on football than combine training, and he believes that will serve him well on the field. We see a jump to 8-to-10 sacks in 2025 and we see Robinson proving worthy of the selection made by general manager Chris Grier. Joe Schad: Miami Dolphins seek 'new identity' for 2025, but what is it? Bradley Chubb: Miami Dolphins star feels at least 90 percent in return Bradley Chubb: Miami Dolphins star feels at least 90 percent in return Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@ and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson ready to explode in Year 2
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Miami Minicamp Confidential: OLB Jaelan Phillips locked in and ready to return to action
Miami Minicamp Confidential: OLB Jaelan Phillips locked in and ready to return to action The Miami Dolphins concluded their mandatory minicamp Thursday and outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips got a chance to update South Florida media on a few topics on Wednesday. Entering a second consecutive year coming off a season-ending injury, Phillips shared his progress in rehabbing from a 2024 ACL injury and discussed the difference from his 2023 Achilles season-ender. 'Oh, it's way easier. It's like night and day, honestly. The ACL, I was walking basically a week after surgery, and then was back to day-to-day life functioning after a couple of weeks. 'In terms of coming back to play, I feel like I tend to heal pretty well. I obviously take really good care of my body and have good genetics. I've been lucky with this process where I've been pretty much feeling the same for the last couple of months," Phillips said. Phillips injured his ACL during a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans last year. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound linebacker remarkably started 2024 on time following his 2023 Achilles injury that he suffered against the New York Jets during Week 12 of that season. Phillips was well on his way to a career year in 2023, going into the Jets game with 5.5 sacks and adding another against them before exiting the game with injury. In his first two years, Phillips had a Miami rookie record 8.5 sacks and followed up with seven during his second season in South Florida. Clearly pacing to exceed those numbers in 2023, a full season of Phillips in 2025 could mean a potential of double-digit sacks. Of course, he will be part of a trio that together, could form an extremely potent pass rush. He joins 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson and veteran Bradley Chubb, who is also looking to return to action from his own knee injury from Week 17 in 2023. 'Yeah, man, we've been talking about it since Chop got here, for real. But it'll be cool to actually get to do it. Also just another year under the belt for our defense under 'Weave,' getting the plays together. I think you'll see things open up a little more, so it will be exciting," Phillips said of that trio of pass rushers. Phillips and Chubb were able to bond and push each other during their respective rehabilitations. 'I think we both played a big role for each other, just in the sense of being there for each other during these times. Obviously, he's someone who's dealt with several injuries in the past, but ACL specific questions I do ask him a lot because he's done three ACLs. I ask him about different things and he'll kind of give me feedback and tell me how I'm looking and stuff. Same thing, it's like some good reassurance that I'm in a good place," Phillips said. Phillips is no stranger to the injury comeback trail, and has dealt with setbacks since college, but closed the narrative that comes with it. "It's just like any other negative comments that you see on the internet, you just kind of have to ignore it. I can't feed into it. I know – for example, the knee. It's friendly fire, nothing I can do about it. How am I injury-prone if I get speared in the knee? Or even the Achilles, that's the first major injury I had in the league for real, other than the little oblique I had. 'You just hear the narrative and brush it off, do what you can do. No matter what you do, someone is going to have something to say about it. So at this point in my career, I feel like I do a pretty good job of being able to see that but not let it affect me too much," Phillips said. At this moment, Phillips enters 2025 as a team leader and vital component of a defense that will need to rely on its front seven. This is also a season in which a culture shift has been the topic and Phillips chimed in with his thoughts. 'I think the biggest thing for me that I've noticed is that with our defense especially, I can't really speak for the offense all that much, but with our defense, the leaders are leaders because of merit and because of the respect they earn on the field. They're not leaders because of name or because of how much you make or anything like that.' 'So guys like Jordyn Brooks, guys like 'T. Dot' [Tyrel Dodson], guys like Bradley, obviously, Zach Sieler, these are the humblest dudes you know. Come in, first dudes in, last dudes out type of mentality. They earn your respect in that way, which I can appreciate," Phillips said. Heading into his fifth season Phillips is all about progress and on a team full of speed on both sides of the ball, he used a pertinent reference while at the same time putting his peers on notice. 'No drag, so in F1, drag is the force that's resisting forward progress. So if you're dragging as a teammate, then you're being a bad teammate, dragging the team down, so no drag around here. All slipstream around here,' Phillips said. Phillips and the Dolphins will finish minicamp and break until July when training camp will begin at Baptist Health Training Facility. When asked about how he plans on spending that time off, Phillips mentioned he has a getaway planned along with some relaxation with family in California as well as hosting a kid's football camp. However, he seems locked into the program heading into the summer. 'Honestly, I did plenty of relaxing over the last seven months," Phillips said. "I vacationed, I went to Italy. I did all that stuff. So, for me, I'm still in go mode, for sure."
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Why Jaelan Phillips' injury history has prepared him for a critical 2025 season
The last couple of years have been rather rough for Jaelan Phillips. After a solid, two-year start to his NFL career, the Miami Dolphins edge rusher suffered a ruptured Achilles that prematurely ended his 2023 season in Week 12. Then, after an arduous rehab, Phillips returned at the start of 2024 — only to play four games before safety Jordan Poyer flew into his leg against the Buffalo Bills, tearing his ACL. Most people would have contemplated retirement, succumbing to the sadness of back-to-back major injuries. Phillips, however, isn't most people. The biggest hurdle was 'finding the balance of obviously being locked in, staying on top of the recovery but also giving myself a little bit of grace and a little bit of break,' Phillips said Wednesday. 'Obviously I went through a lot these last couple of years so I felt like I needed to take a little bit of time to kind of regather myself and then it allowed me to come back with a lot more clarity and focus and motivation.' With both the ACL and Achilles healed, Phillips will look to complete his first full season since 2022. The timing, however, cannot be better as 2025 will be a contract year for the five-year veteran. And as much as this could be considered 'put up or shut up' time, Phillips' only worry is what happens between the two lines, a point of praise for coach Mike McDaniel. 'If you can't control injuries, you have to be disciplined enough not to think about it and think about your technique and fundamentals,' McDaniel said Wednesday. 'We have the appropriate person for that challenge in Jaelan Phillips.' Added Phillips: 'I'm definitely just trying to stay focused. That's all you can do — stay present, stay focused. Because obviously, it's a big year and so it's not like I'm going to ignore that fact but at the same time, I can't do anything about six or seven months from now.' Adversity, however, is nothing new to Phillips. In late 2018, the edge rusher medically retired from the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, citing a plethora of concussions and other injuries. Phillips subsequently transferred to the University of Miami where, following a year off, he returned to the football field in 2020. 'I think I went through a lot and experienced a lot in my time at UCLA and transitioning over to Miami,' Phillips said in Jan. 2022. 'So I think that's really taught me a lot about how I want to carry myself and what impact I want to have on this world. So for me, just understanding that it's way bigger than myself and it's bigger than any on-the-field or off-the-field accomplishment I can do.' The Achilles injury seemed to provide similar clarity as 'it helped me recenter myself as a person.' 'It's just another good reminder of even when you think you've overcome adversity, something's always going to come,' Phillips said, explaining that the rehab gave him the chance to develop 'relationships' that he usually wouldn't be able to due to the intensity of the NFL schedule. 'It's just very humbling, very sobering.' Such a mindset earned him praise from fellow edge rusher Bradley Chubb who rehabbed with Phillips as the former recovered from a devastating knee injury. 'He's a warrior,' edge rusher said. 'I like to surround myself with like-minded people and I feel like I'm a warrior in terms of how I handle adversity and he's the same puts his head down and he might have a bad day or two but it never affected how he approach the work, how he approached the task.' A healthy Phillips could give the Dolphins one of the most elite defensive fronts in football. The trio of edge rushers — Phillips, Chubb and Chop Robinson — combined with defensive tackles Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant on the inside would be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators nightmares in 2025, something that certainly has him and coaches alike smiling. 'It would be exciting,' Phillips said. 'Chop has been having a hell of an OTAs. His improvement from last year to this year is so noticeable. It's insane, especially if you know the nitty gritty of it. I'm really proud of Chop and really excited to see how he's going to keep progressing. Obviously Bradley looks great. I feel really good so that's going to be fun.'
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaelan Phillips Predicted to Have Make-or-Break Season for Future in Miami
Jaelan Phillips Predicted to Have Make-or-Break Season for Future in Miami originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A first-round pick in 2021, the Miami Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips has struggled to live up to the hype surrounding his high draft status. Advertisement After two complete seasons to begin his career, Phillips has had season ending injuries in back-to-back years. First tearing his Achilles tendon in 2023 and then tearing his anterior crucial ligament (ACL) last season. After racking up 8.5 and seven sacks in his first two seasons, Phillips was poised for a big leap in year three. He followed through with 6.5 sacks in the first eight games before going down with the torn Achilles. Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) walks off the field with a team trainer after an apparent injury during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Vinlove-Imagn Images Phillips' potential is still extremely high as a versatile weakside linebacker for the Miami defense, but his injury history has writer Nick Shook declaring the 2025 season a "make-or-break" year. Advertisement "As a player who overcame plenty of health challenges in college -- he medically retired from football in 2018 before returning in 2020 -- this is nothing new to Phillips, but his mettle will truly be tested in 2025," Shook wrote. Overcoming the injuries will be one thing, but Phillips will also be forced to compete for playing time with 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, who tallied six sacks last season in his rookie year. If the 26-year-old Phillips can stay healthy while returning to his pre-injury form in 2023, the Dolphins will have a decision to make on re-signing the difference maker. If injuries take their toll, or Phillips struggles to return to any version of himself from his first three seasons, the edge rusher could end up having to test free agency. Related: Dolphins Predicted to Bench Tua Tagovailoa This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jaelan Phillips shares inspirational comeback message after return to practice field
Jaelan Phillips shares inspirational comeback message after return to practice field Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips is back on the practice field at organized team activities (OTAs), eight months removed from his second season-ending injury in as many years. During Tuesday's OTA, Phillips was wearing the coveted orange practice jersey, which recognizes players for their hard work and leadership. Phillips is no stranger to comebacks. He suffered multiple injuries at UCLA, but after nearing medical retiring from football, he made a collegiate comeback at the University of Miami in 2020, before he was selected No. 18 overall by the Dolphins in the 2021 NFL draft. Unfortunately for Phillips, his resilience has again been tested in his last two NFL seasons. In a post on social media, the pass rusher spun what could be disappointment, into an inspirational message about perseverance that applies to more than just football players. Phillips started his Dolphins career by breaking the rookie sack record with 8.5 in his first season. After seven sacks in 2022, Phillips was putting together a career-best year in 2023 with 6.5 sacks in eight games played, before an Achilles tear in November ended his season. During the 2024 offseason, Phillips shocked everyone with an incredible recovery and rehab, and not only started Week 1, but registered a sack in the season opener. But three weeks later, Phillips tore his ACL, ending another year prematurely. Now Phillips is looking for a healthy, full season that sees him realize his Pro Bowl potential. Phillips isn't alone in his comeback. Fellow edge rusher Bradley Chubb missed all of the 2024 season due to a knee injury and is also back on the practice field at OTAs. "They're as excited as ever," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of the duo. "I mean, they're the most excited practice players of all time right now. And I think that it's a cool piece for our team to feel because it's an authentic appreciation." "Like most people, you know most of us, you don't always know exactly to the level of what you have until it's removed from you. So these guys are exemplifying everything we're asking of players right now." Phillips and Chubb return to a pass-rushing group that now includes 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, who finished his rookie campaign with six sacks.
