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Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips Reveals Progress After ACL Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Linebacker Jaelan Phillips has seen his last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins get cut short due to severe injuries.

In 2023, Phillips tore the Achilles tendon in his right leg in a November matchup against the New York Jets, ending his campaign after eight games. He then suffered a torn ACL in September of the following year, limiting him to four appearances.

Prior to those season-ending injuries, Phillips had not missed a contest in his NFL career. He almost certainly will be aiming to play a full slate of games for the Dolphins in 2025, where he will be among the team's leaders on the defensive side of the football.

But before he can step foot on the gridiron for a regular season game, Phillips must complete the rehabilitation plan the Dolphins' training staff has set out for him. He shared a positive update regarding his health on Wednesday, telling reporters his most recent injury recovery has gone much smoother than his first.

"It’s way easier. It’s like night and day, honestly. The ACL, I was walking basically a week after surgery, and then was back to day-to-day life functioning after a couple of weeks," Phillips said. "In terms of coming back to play, I feel like I tend to heal pretty well. I, obviously, take really good care of my body and have good genetics. I’ve been lucky with this process where I’ve been pretty much feeling the same for the last couple of months."

Phillips' ACL recovery has not been all sunshine and rainbows, though. The most challenging aspect of the process, he said, has been staying composed and not placing too much pressure on himself.

"For me, just finding the proper balance in my life, just in terms of not stressing myself out so much. Finding the balance of, obviously, being locked in, staying on top of the recovery, but also giving myself a little grace and a little bit of a break," Phillips said. "Obviously, [I] went through a lot in the last couple years, so I felt like I needed to take a little bit of time to kind of regather myself, and then, it allowed me to come back with a lot more clarity and focus."

After being sidelined for much of the past two years, Phillips said he is excited for the 2025 season to begin.

"I'm in a really good place," Phillips said. "[I'm] feeling great, obviously, physically, but also, from a mental standpoint, just ready to get after it."

Phillips, a first-round (No. 18 overall) draft pick in 2021, has spent his entire four-year career with the Dolphins organization. Across 46 appearances (including 29 starts), he has accumulated 152 tackles, 23 sacks, seven passes defended and one interception.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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