Jaelan Phillips Has Finally Struck Balance Between Rehab And Life

This is a conversation Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips has had too often. Once again, he has to come in and address his rehabilitation from an injury. In a meeting with the media on Wednesday, he opened up about his mental and physical well-being.

After completing a rigorous rehabilitation program in the offseason, he has pronounced himself mentally and physically ready to endure a 17-game season. Phillips rehabilitated from an ACL tear he suffered last September in a Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans.

Phillips said Wednesday he is focused on what lies ahead, but one day at a time. He does not want to look too far into the future. That might be difficult, as this is a big year for Phillips since he is in the final year of his rookie contract. Phillips will be an unrestricted free agent after the season unless he is given an extension during the season.

“I’m definitely trying to stay focused, that’s all you can do. Stay present, stay focused, because obviously it is a big year," Phillips said. "It’s not like I’m going to ignore that fact, but at the same day, I can’t do anything about six to seven months from now. All I can do is really take care of business on a day-to-day basis. That’s really what I try to do.”

Phillips is used to dealing with challenges. He said the key to this rehabilitation process was to strike a balance between life and recovery. Despite working extremely hard to get back on the field, he needed to find a balance and take a break every now and then.

“Honestly, I think the most difficult – I wouldn’t say difficult, but for me, just like 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 on top of the recovery but also giving myself grace and a little bit of a break," Phillips said. "Obviously, I went through a lot over the last couple of years, so I felt like I needed to take a little bit of time to regather myself."

PHILLIPS HAS MOTIVATION FOR A BIG COMEBACK

Phillips said he is extremely motivated for a productive season and is ready to hit the ground running.

"It allowed me to come back with a lot more clarity and focus and just motivation," Phillips said. "I feel like right now I’m in a really good place. Feeling great obviously physically, but also from a mental standpoint just ready to get after it.”

Phillips said the rehabilitation process was much easier the second time around with the ACL than it was with the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023. He said he is light years ahead of where he was at this time last year.

“Oh, 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. 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," Phillips said. "I’ve been lucky with this process where I’ve been pretty much feeling the same for the last couple of months.

"The Achilles was brutal because I couldn’t walk for four months, and even coming back off of it, there’s so much explosion going on through the Achilles," Phillips said. "With the knee it’s obviously a stability matter, but once it’s stable, it’s just quad strength getting that back. We’ve been working out (expletive) off, me and (Director of Rehabilitation/Assistant Athletic Trainer Jon) Boone and the training staff, so I feel great.”

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