With fresh videos surfacing of Jaelan Phillips showing remarkable agility, Miami Dolphins fans can breathe a sigh of relief about the linebacker’s potential return for the 2025 season. After enduring two successive major injuries, Phillips has been making significant strides in his rehabilitation, following a torn ACL just four games into the previous season. This comes after a tough comeback from a torn Achilles in 2023, for which he earned a nomination for the Dolphins’ Ed Block Courage Award.
However, these injuries naturally raise questions about Phillips’ long-term reliability, concerns amplified by his draft standing and contract situation with the Dolphins. Having been the second of two first-round selections by Miami in 2021, Phillips is slated to play under his fifth-year option in the upcoming season. The Dolphins already exercised this option, alongside wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
The financial side of things is where it gets interesting. Waddle was offered a contract extension last offseason, locking in a guaranteed $36 million at signing and securing $76 million against injury.
This savvy move brought Waddle’s cap figure down to $8 million for 2025, instead of the $15.6 million anticipated. In contrast, Phillips’ cap number continues to rest at $13.3 million on his fifth-year option.
These back-to-back injuries have transformed him from an unquestionable extension prospect into somewhat of a gamble.
Let’s not forget, when fully fit, Phillips has delivered impressive performances for the Dolphins. He’s also a standout presence off the field, made evident by being named their 2023 Man of the Year nominee.
Yet, caution prevails, with some justifiable hesitance from the Dolphins’ front office toward an extension. After all, seeing Phillips regain his pre-injury form is crucial.
His slow start after returning last season due to the Achilles injury wasn’t out of the blue, given the injury’s typical recovery trajectory.
Phillips’ dedication is beyond doubt; his rigorous work ethic means he’s poised to return to peak performance. But football is unpredictable, and that uncertainty makes his contract situation challenging for the Dolphins as they prepare for the 2025 league year. The big question now is whether Miami will wait to see how he performs on the fifth-year option before negotiating an extension or decide to lock him in with a new deal sooner, potentially easing their cap concerns.
For now, it’s a case of wait and watch.