Why Jaelan Phillips' Breakout Is Coming Soon

Miami Dolphins pass rusher Jaelan Phillips is used to adversity.

He’s fought back from medical retirement in college and has rehabbed two straight season-ending injuries with the Dolphins. The 2025 season has presented Phillips with even more adversity.

The team is 0-3, and the defense has spent of the season giving up points. One of the big reasons for that is the lack of pressure — Miami is last in the NFL in total pressures generated this season.

Despite the lack of production, Phillips knows the defense can’t start pressing.

“That's kind of something that you have to fight against, is pressing and trying to do too much and trying to make a play outside of the scheme or outside of your own ability,” Phillips told reporters Tuesday. “So, I think really the focus is not worrying about the numbers, not trying to make something happen when it's not there, really trusting the scheme and just playing within the bounds of the defense.”

“I think that the numbers come, and that's something that with the type of defense we have, once we get the communication right, once we are all on the same page, I think all those will start coming.”

While that might sound like player-speak for a team in dire straits, the tape actually backs up Phillips’ claim that the numbers will come — at least for him.

Jaelan Phillips Is So Close

Phillips doesn’t have a single sack this season, but he’s generating plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He’s gotten pressure on 17.3% of his pass rushes this season, according to PFF.

That number is 21st in the NFL among defensive ends and outside linebackers (Edge rushers) who have rushed the passer more than 25 times, according to PFF.

That might not seem overly impressive, but that’s against the entire league, and Phillips is coming off two season-ending injuries. Regardless of what the numbers say, Phillips knows he can’t get caught up in them.

“It's easy to lose track of what's important,” Phillips said. “Obviously, this is a production game; it's a what have you done for me lately game. And so obviously with the sacks comes a lot of the attention or the praise or whatever the case is. And so it's easy when you're not getting the production numbers to let that temporarily discourage you or just kind of question, why am I not making these plays? Why am I not?”

History Says Phillips’ Breakout Is Coming

Phillips went on to mention that he’s always been a little streaky when it comes to racking up his sack numbers, and he’s mostly right about that.

During his rookie season of 2021, Phillips recorded seven of his 8.5 sacks between Week 9 and Week 13. In 2022, he posted seven sacks, and all but 1.5 of them came between Week 7 and Week 15.

In 2023, Phillips recorded six of his 6.5 sacks between Week 7 and Week 12. That Week 12 game was when he tore his Achilles, and then he played only four games in 2024.

It seems as if Phillips always needs some time to get into a groove. That said, the Dolphins need him to start getting home sooner than Week 7 or Week 9.

“When I personally take a step back and look at each game, I feel like I've improved each game,” Phillips said. “And that's really all you can do is just focus on getting better. And so, like I said, I know those things will come.”

Phillips’ next chance to get his first sack will come on Monday night against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium.

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