NFL Analyst Wishes Jaelan Phillips Had Signed With Eagles, Not Panthers

It was a relative shock to the NFL world when the Carolina Panthers signed Jaelan Phillips to a four-year, $120 million deal. For starters, the Panthers didn't have $30 million in cap space to spend on Phillips.

The other shocking part was that he left the Eagles. He and Vic Fangio were a match made in heaven, and he transformed their defense. It was a perfect fit on both sides, and it was expected that he'd re-sign.

Obviously, he didn't, and he revealed that the Eagles did offer him a contract, but it didn't match the Panthers' offer. One analyst wishes it had, and that Phillips had signed back with the Eagles instead of the Panthers.

NFL analyst claims Jaelan Phillips would've been better off with Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips (50) walks off the field | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers made massive upgrades to their defense in free agency, primarily with the additions of Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips. The latter arrives to join a pass-rush unit that's been among the worst in the NFL for the last three seasons.

Still, one analyst wishes the Eagles had signed him to a contract instead of the Panthers, especially after he had such success in transforming the Eagles' defense after the trade deadline in 2025.

"Although the Eagles were eliminated in the Wild Card Round, Phillips showed enough promise in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's system that he should have been a top priority to retain during the offseason," Bleacher Report analyst Alex Kay opined.

"Despite investing a Day 2 pick into acquiring him, coupled with some promising contributions and the potential for far greater production from a full offseason learning Fangio's scheme, Philadelphia failed to make a strong enough push to retain Phillips," Kay continued.

The Panthers signed him for $120 million, a price the Eagles must not have felt was worth trying to match. It's a fair concern, as Phillips has injury concerns and a lack of sack production despite elite pressure numbers that make the contract a fair risk.

The Panthers, though, saw a need and aggressively addressed it. They learned from not signing Milton Williams last year, largely due to a late failure to match New England's price, and they decided not to have that happen again.

Maybe, if things go well, the Eagles may find themselves in a similar situation, wishing they'd just paid the money to convince one of their top targets to sign despite an attractive offer from someone else.