NFL Rumors: Derek Barnett Drawing 'Some Interest' from Dolphins After Eagles Release

After losing Jaelan Phillips for the season to a torn Achillies, the Miami Dolphins are looking at Derek Barnett as a potential replacement for their pass rush.

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have "some interest" in the 27-year-old after he was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.

Phillips suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Miami's 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Friday. He was tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks in eight games.

The Dolphins utilize a 3-4 front under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Barnett has some history with Fangio, who assisted Philadelphia's coaching staff in preparing for Super Bowl 57 in February.

Barnett has never played in a base 3-4 defense during his NFL career, but it likely wouldn't be a major adjustment if he were to sign with Miami. He would almost certainly be limited only to pass-rush situations.

A first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Barnett was a disruptive force on Philadelphia's defensive line for the first few years of his career. His most iconic moment was recovering a fumble on Brandon Graham's strip-sack of Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 52.

Barnett averaged 15.2 quarterback hits, 7.2 tackles for loss and 4.3 sacks per season from 2017 to '21. A torn ACL limited him to just one game last season. He appeared in the first eight games this season before being a healthy inactive in Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles ruled Barnett out for Monday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to personal reasons. He has just three combined tackles in eight appearances.

Miami's win over the Jets improved the team's record to 8-3, tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the best mark in the AFC. Its next game will be on Dec. 3 against the Washington Commanders at FedEx Field.