Eagles Urged to Bring Back 26-Year-Old Game-Breaker

If the Philadelphia Eagles learned anything from last offseason, it's that it should find a way to keep its top pending free agent edge rusher in town.

When the 2025 season began, the pass rush was a weakness for the team and it really was the case until the trade deadline. That's after the Eagles lost Josh Sweat and Milton Williams in free agency last offseason. Moro Ojomo filled in well for Williams, but the Eagles didn't have a dynamic replacement for Sweat.

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When the trade deadline came around, the Eagles saw the need and acquired Jaelan Phillips from the Miami Dolphins. From there on, the Eagles were flying. Now, Phillips is a pending free agent and unsurprisingly, there's already been a lot of buzz out there about how the team should find a way to keep him in town. For example, NFL.com's Kevin Patra shared a column highlighting one move each NFC team should make this offseason. For the Eagles, the idea of retaining Phillips unsurprisingly was top of mind.

The Eagles should absolutely retain Jaelan Phillips

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) walks off the field after win against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

"Keep Jaelan Phillips in Philly," Patra wrote. "GM Howie Roseman has several big decisions to make this offseason as we head to free agency. Keeping Phillips from leaving town is No. 1 in my book. From the moment the pass rusher arrived in Philadelphia, the defense hit another level. In Week 10 onward, Phillips led the Eagles with 34 QB pressures after the unit had struggled to get after the passer consistently while dealing with injuries.

"Philly would have to replace that production regardless, so keeping a player Roseman knows fits Vic Fangio's scheme should be the priority, particularly given past misses (see: Bryce Huff). If you chose to make finding a long-term replacement for Lane Johnson your top priority, I understand."

Phillips has made it known that he's open to sticking around. Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice noted that it feels like bringing back Phillips will be a "priority" for the franchise.

He's just 26 years old. When he was a rookie in 2021, he had 8 1/2 sacks in 17 games. He followed with seven sacks in 2022. Injuries derailed his career for a bit, but he had five sacks in 17 games in 2025 and looked good overall in Vic Fangio's system. Imagine what he could look like with another healthy season under his belt in Philadelphia? A scary thought for opposing offenses.

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