The difference maker in 2025 for the Philadelphia Eagles to save it from being a complete disaster of a season was edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, when the team traded for him in the middle of the season from the Miami Dolphins.
Phillips dominated for the Eagles and helped the unit rank in the top five in the last eight games of the season. Now that he is a free agent, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes and NFL Daily host Gregg Rosenthal agreed that Phillips was one of the top free agents available in the 2026 offseason, and Kimes agreed with Rosenthal that the Eagles should bring him back.
"He's such a dream fit for Vic Fangio's scheme that, like, the other pass rushers looked fine? But there's a reason why they traded for him, right? Like he was a necessity in some ways."
Mina Kimes thinks the Eagles should bring Phillips back
Everyone gets hung up on the fact that Phillips only got five sacks on the season, but he was so elite when it came to pressuring the quarterback. He ranked ninth in pressures with 73 and fifth in hurries with 57. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 74, ranking him 34th out of 115 edge rushers in the NFL.
Phillips is going to command a lot of money, according to Spotrac, with his estimated market value being $17.3 million per season. That might sound like a lot, but Phillips made such a significant difference on this defense and is a perfect fit for what Fangio does that it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back on a long-term deal.
The Eagles have some nice pieces at edge rusher developing, as Phillips really helped Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt improve their performances late in 2025 as well. If Smith and Hunt can keep developing with Phillips, this edge rusher room could end up being very dangerous in 2026.
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Philly was happy to have Phillips by the end of the 2025 season, so of all the free agents they have available, he might be the one guy they must re-sign.