Everyone continues to circle back on one play that Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman needs to re-sign during the 2026 offseason: edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
NFL.com senior news writer Kevin Patra shared his article looking at one roster move each NFL team should make. Patra urged the Eagles to re-sign Phillips to the roster.
"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."
Eagles being told to not let Jaelan Phillips walk
While the sack numbers may not be there for Phillips, he's about as dominant a force in the NFL when it comes to pressuring the quarterback as anyone else. Combining the stats he accumulated with the Miami Dolphins before the midseason trade to the Eagles, he had 73 pressures (ninth in the NFL), 57 hurries (fifth in the NFL), 11 hits, and five sacks on the season.
Phillips singlehandedly changed the course of the Eagles' season on defense with his play. He was able to raise the performances of other guys like Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt off the edge and turned the Eagles' biggest weakness into their strength when they got to the playoffs.
The concern with Phillips is that he will be very expensive for the Eagles to sign. Right now, his estimated market price is around $17.3 million per year. That's a lot for an Eagles team that has other key free agents to consider bringing back, like Nakobe Dean, Reed Blankenship, and Dallas Goedert.
It makes sense for Phillips to return, though, as he is a fit for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense and can do all the things needed to make the defense better. Phillips is about as good an edge rusher as there is in free agency.
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Philly will have to be in a bidding war for Phillips, but it would be worth it to have a veteran impact player back there on defense to continue to help the younger stars.