Jaelan Phillips 'Best' Landing Spot Would Be Eagles' Worst

The Philadelphia Eagles need to sort out the pass rush this offseason.

An easy way to do so would be to bring back Jaelan Phillips. He's a pending free agent, but he showed that he can make an impact in Vic Fangio's defense. Plus, he's just 26 years old. It doesn't hurt that he's also made it clear that he'd like to be in town next year as well.

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"It's my first experience with it so I'm not really sure how it plays out," Phillips said. "But we'll see. We'll see what happens...Obviously, I've got a family now and a kid on the way and sort of think about that. But, also, you know I want to be on a competitive team and part of an environment where I love the guys I'm around and love the organization I'm playing for. I feel that here. So, we'll see."

While this is the case, Pro Football Focus actually tabbed the Washington Commanders as the "best" landing spot for him instead.

Where will Jaelan Phillips go?

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

"Jaelan Phillips," Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron wrote. "Best Landing Spot: Washington Commanders. After foregoing the opportunity to upgrade their edge defender unit last offseason, the Commanders paid the price in 2025, ranking among the NFL’s lowest-graded defenses (53.7, 27th). A season-ending knee injury to Dorance Armstrong limited the rotation, resulting in the Commanders' 23rd-ranked pass-rush win rate off the edge. Now, with their top pressure generators Von Miller and Jacob Martin scheduled to enter free agency, this projects as a good time to upgrade the position.

"Although injuries limited his time on the field in previous seasons, Phillips showcased his talent as a pass rusher in 2025. He didn’t rack up massive sack production, but he posted the seventh-highest pass-rush win rate (19.1%) among qualifying edge defenders while ranking in the 85th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets."

Unless the Eagles strike elsewhere, like with Maxx Crosby, losing someone like Phillips would be brutal. Losing him to a rival like Washington would be even worse. The pass rush remains a question for the Eagles and Phillips would be an easy answer, but there will be competition.

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