Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips Out for Rest of NFL Season With Knee Injury; Surgery Needed

For the second straight year, Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips will miss the end of the season because of an injury.

Phillips announced Wednesday on Instagram that he had suffered a knee injury that would necessitate "reconstructive surgery" and end his 2024 campaign.

"I have unfinished business to take care of and I will come out of this trial victorious," Phillips wrote.

Phillips suffered the injury in the third quarter of Monday's loss to the Titans, which marked his fourth appearance since the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season in Week 12.

After recording 15.5 sacks through two seasons, Phillips had recorded 6.5 sacks in eight games in what was gearing up to be a breakout 2023 campaign before the season-ending non-contact injury.

Phillips' recovery involved working his way back from three months of not being able to walk to rejoining the Dolphins roster ahead of the second game of the preseason. Now he will begin another rehabilitation process this fall.

"I bleed for this game and my team," Phillips wrote in the caption of his post. "I'm devastated to have to miss another season, but my resolve has never been stronger… I'll be back."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Phillips has "hopes of returning in 2025." The Dolphins have already exercised Phillips' $13.24 million fifth-year club option to keep him in Miami next season.

Phillips had recorded 1.0 sacks, two passes defensed, six tackles and two quarterback hits prior to his season-ending injury.

The Dolphins will now be absent a top defender as the team attempts to recover from their 1-3 season start while still missing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and likely star running back Raheem Mostert as well.

The Miami pass-rush, which ranked third in the NFL with 56 sacks last season, sits toward the bottom of league rankings so far in 2024 with seven sacks through four games.

The Dolphins will need rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara to step up alongside Emmanuel Ogbah and Quinton Bell in order to improve these stats in Phillips' absence. Bradley Chubb is still sidelined amid rehab from a torn ACL, but he could eventually help fill in for Phillips if the team's projections that he could return this season prove true.