Eagles Star Became Free Agency Priority After Just 8 Games

The Philadelphia Eagles would be wise to get a deal done as fast as possible.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

All eyes are going to be on the Philadelphia Eagles' defense over the next few weeks.

Free agency will begin to pick up steam across the league on March 9. Teams and players will be able to start discussing deals at 12 p.m. ET on March 9 and the Eagles' defense has a handful of guys heading to the open market including Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship, Adoree' Jackson, Brandon Graham, Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari and Marcus Epps, among others.

Clearly, changes could be on the way. Among all of the guys heading to the open market, the player to watch is Phillips. The 26-year-old was a first-round pick in 2021 by the Miami Dolphins and came to town ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline. He was everything the team could've hoped for and should cash in this offseason. Fortunately, The Athletic's Zach Berman reported that the current expectation is that Phillips will be the team's "top priority" in free agency.

The Eagles want to bring back Jaelan Phillips

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) looks on during warmups prior to an NFC Wild Card Round game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

"There’s also the sense that the Eagles will not be major players in the free agent market," Berman wrote. "Never say never — [Howie Roseman] likes to make a splash — but the splash could be an internal signing. Last year, the Eagles considered Zack Baun’s re-signing to be their splashy move. This year, it could be keeping Jaelan Phillips, who is expected to be the Eagles’ top priority in free agency. If Phillips signs elsewhere, the Eagles could have more flexibility for an external addition."

This isn't the first time that Phillips has been called an offseason "priority" for Philadelphia. That's exactly how it should be. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday that the Eagles will "attempt" to re-sign Phillips as well.

All of this is to say, the early buzz out there is that the Eagles like Phillips and will try to keep him in town. If Philadelphia is successful, a move like this immediately would solve the team's pass rush question mark. Phillips had two sacks and was a quarterback pressure machine for Philadelphia in eight games. Phillips has more in the tank. He had two injury-filled seasons in 2023 and 2024, but racked up 15 1/2 sacks across his first two seasons in 2021 and 2022. Phillips has double-digit sack potential. Keeping him in Vic Fangio's system for another year can get him there.