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Phillips Provides Major Scare at Practice

The Miami Dolphins outside linebacker left practice early and limped off the field
Alain Poupart|
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) works during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips (15) works during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Miami Dolphins

Jaelan Phillips wasted little time after practice Saturday to reassure Miami Dolphins fans there was no cause for alarm after he gingerly walked off the field and inside the Baptist Health Training Complex.

Phillips left about halfway through practice after being injured during an 11-on-11 period. After getting attention from trainers, he stood on the sideline flexing his left knee a bit, then jogged a little bit behind the huddle before walking between the two fields.

Phillips then walked inside the facility accompanied by a trainer and did so very slowly.

Anytime a player leaves the field after a situation like this, there's cause for concern and — right or wrong — it's probably more pronounced with Phillips given his injury history.

Phillips, as Dolphins fans well know, saw his last two seasons shortened because of significant injuries — a torn right Achilles tendon against the New York Jets in November 2023, a torn ACL in his right knee against the Tennessee Titans in September 2024.

Phillips' return in 2025 is important to the Dolphins, who figure to have to rely on their pass rush to make up for the lack of proven players in the secondary.

With Phillips, Bradley Chubb and 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, the Dolphins have the makings of a dynamic pass-rushing trio at outside linebacker.

On a personal level, it's also a big year for Phillips, who currently is scheduled to play the 2025 season on his fifth-year option with a guaranteed salary of $13.3 million.

Phillips currently is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next March, and his market value will depend to some degree — maybe a large degree — to him showing the ability to make it through a season.

The last thing he needs is a significant injury, which is why his post-practice tweet was a welcome sight.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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