You'd think the Philadelphia Eagles would make hanging onto someone they gave up a third-round pick to acquire roughly four months ago a primary issue. Yet, by the sound of it, the past is the past and will have no bearing on what comes next for pass rusher Jaelan Phillips.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman shared valuable insight into his approach to roster construction ahead of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He reportedly "made it pretty clear" that re-signing their players, not those set to become free agents, is "the priority." That alone casts doubt over whether Philadelphia will retain Phillips, who hits the open market on March 11, barring a franchise tag or contract extension.
However, Roseman only added fuel to the fire with some additional comments on Phillips' outlook with the Eagles.
Howie Roseman's comments on Jaelan Phillips have Eagles fans bracing for free agency disaster
Roseman didn't mince words. He expressed that the decision to trade for Phillips midseason was made with a Super Bowl LX title in mind. So, the draft capital the Eagles sent the Miami Dolphins to facilitate the transaction is merely a sunk cost at this point.
"Obviously that didn't happen, but we'll do anything to win a championship," Roseman said, per Brooks Kubena of The Athletic. "... If you tell me that I can trade a third-round pick to win a playoff game, I'll do it every day of the week. Every day of the week. I don’t know that I can trade three thirds — because we don’t have them — to win three playoff games. But I would do it."
While Roseman praised Phillips and would help their title aspirations next season, the emphasis on retention is palpable. The Eagles are loaded with talented young playmakers on both sides of the ball who will need raises in due course.
Knowing this, Roseman ostensibly prefers to keep the Eagles' cap sheet clean in the long term. His forward-thinking mindset, unfortunately, could come at the expense of Phillips, the top player available at a premium position, among others.
"Can we keep all our guys, considering we have, for example, a lot of key defensive players coming off rookie deals in the next few years? No, we are going to have to make choices," Roseman stated.
Read more: Nick Sirianni got brutally honest about Jeff Stoutland's departure from Eagles
For what it's worth, Spotrac projects Phillips, who turns 27 in May, to earn roughly $17.3 million annually over three years on his next deal.