'Aggressive' Jets Could Pursue Eagles Free Agent

The New York Jets need to show signs of life in 2026, and impending free agent edge defender Jaelan Phillips might be the first piece in fixing a historically bad defense. Nobody expected New York to suddenly compete for a Super Bowl under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, but they probably expected his defense to record at least one interception. That didn’t happen, as the talent-poor unit will live in infamy as the first team to ever go a full season without a pick.

Now on the hot seat, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports that Aaron Glenn and the Jets are expected to be “among the league’s more aggressive” teams when free agency officially kicks off. The Jets need help at just about every position, but nobody should be surprised if Eagles edge defender Jaelan Phillips is at the top of their wish list.

“Aggressive” Jets Could Pursue Free Agent Jaelan Phillips

Edge defender is one of the most important positions in football, and there’s a strong case to be made that Jaelan Phillips is the best free agent at the position. While Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson is the bigger name and has the stronger past, he’s on the wrong side of 30. Phillips is entering his age-27 season and should have a few more seasons of high-level play left in his tank.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Miami Dolphins, Phillips joined the Eagles at the trade deadline. Throughout the course of his career, the Miami product has recorded 28 sacks, 205 tackles, 32 tackles-for-loss, and 68 quarterback hits. While he’s not on a Hall of Fame trajectory, he’s an above-average starter and should provide some much-needed juice to a defense that needs helps at just about every position.

Will He Leave Philadelphia?

Of course, the Jets won’t be able to sign Jaelan Phillips if he signs an extension with Philadelphia before the start of free agency. The Eagles surrendered a third-round pick for his services, which would be a lot to pay for a half-year rental. This suggests he is a part of the team’s long-term plans, especially since he played well during his limited time with the organization.

Additionally, the Eagles have over $20.5 million in cap space, so they should be able to re-sign Jaelan Phillips without impacting their ability to bolster the rest of the roster. They can also create cap space and free up future money by trading A.J. Brown.

Signing Jaelan Phillips might be New York’s top goal, but it shouldn’t be their only one. After all, the team has $83.3 million in cap space and needs just about everywhere, so they should be able to pursue plenty of free agents that actually make it to the market.