Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips continues to build toward a return from a 2023 Achilles tear. He talked about his recovery and the team’s addition of Calais Campbell this week.
The Miami Dolphins open their 2024 NFL season in one week, welcoming Duval County’s Jacksonville Jaguars down I-95 to South Florida. The team appears to be optimistic that linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who sustained a torn Achilles tendon during the 2023 season, will be ready to open this year’s campaign. How does the linebacker feel about his recovery and if he will be ready for next weekend’s game?
“I’ve felt great. It’s been amazing,” Phillips said on Thursday during his media availability. “I’ve been eager to get back into just getting used to my hands, getting used to my eyes and really used to the defense. I’ve been doing walkthroughs with my coach the whole entire time, the whole entire offseason, but doing it live is different. It’s just been really nice to be able to actually do it live and to learn the defense.”
The Dolphins coaching staff has been very deliberate in the past when reintroducing players to full-game participation, limiting players’ exposure as they come back from injury in an attempt to avoid aggravating the issue. Will Phillips be on a “pitch count” early this season? The linebacker told the media they would have to ask someone else to get a clear answer of any limitations that may be placed upon him, but that he would not want to be sitting late in a game if the defense needed to make a stop.
“Yeah, I mean it’s tough,” Phillips stated when asked if he would expect to be in a game late. “I wouldn’t say that that feeling is misguided. That’s definitely how I feel, but hopefully it doesn’t come down to that. Hopefully, we go out there and handle our business. But regardless, I’m here to do whatever they need me to do. Obviously, I’m going to be pushing to play as much as I can, but I’ve got to be smart at the end of the day. It’s a long season, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Phillips began the preseason on the physically unable to perform list, but was activated mid-way through the summer. Phillips was asked if he had reached full speed during practice, replying, “I’m rolling. I’m rolling.”
He then looked back at the last two weeks, discussing if he had any specific moment when he realized he was back to full strength, saying, “It’s really been kind of like a steady – the last about a month and a half, every time I would start to add load and do new things, I would just kind of surprise myself with how my Achilles didn’t get sore at all and it didn’t really react at all. There’s been a couple of times where I’d be watching myself, watching whatever drills I’m doing, I’ll see myself in my stance really pushing off of it, and there’s no rebound, there is no weakness. It’s just explosive, it’s feeling great. I just feel very grateful to play.”
He also explained that he has no lingering issues when it comes to the stress put on his Achilles to generate the explosiveness with which he plays. “No, it feels rock solid,” he said. “When I first got hurt, I didn’t really know what to think. I didn’t know what it was going to be like coming back. I didn’t know if I was – I heard a lot of people kind of mention to me about confidence things and having kind of like a mental block almost coming back and not trusting it, but I haven’t had that issue at all honestly.”
The discussion also took a look at new Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who, as he enters his 17th year in the league, provides Miami with a veteran presence to anchor the defensive front seven. “It’s been really invaluable having him here just from a leadership standpoint, in terms of him being able to come in and identify the things that make up – he’s been to the Super Bowl – so him being able to just give us advice and kind of guide us on what we need and what we need to be focusing on to reach the end goal,” Phillips expalined. “Calais has been great, obviously that ‘U’ (University of Miami) connection, too. So it’s been cool having him in the building.”
Asked if there is benefit to having a player like Campbell, who at his age continues to do every drill and push himself, especially if a younger player is getting tired and not giving everything on every rep, Phillips answered, “No, because he doesn’t even seem like an old man. You wouldn’t think he’s 37 or whatever he is. He works his ass off, and he moves really well for how old he is.”
As for what Campbell has taught Phillips since the veteran signed with the team in June, Phillips replied, “I think he just more so puts us on game when it comes to what the standard is and what it takes to be one of those Super Bowl teams. On the field, obviously, he might give you tips with games here and there, or things like that, but I think really from a leadership and mentality standpoint is just really when he’s come in and gave us a lot of advice.”
As for the 2024 season, Phillips explained his personal goals for the year, “I never really have sack goals when it comes to that. I just want to be disruptive and be productive. I know that I’m a 10-plus sack guy. I know that I can go out there and disrupt the quarterback, stop the run, do anything I need to do to for this team. So the numbers will fall when they fall, but I’m going to go out there and try my best.”
The Dolphins open with the Jaguars visiting Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, September 8. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Miami has a quick turnaround for Week 2, when they will host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football night. Phillips’ role and potential pitch count limitations could go a long way toward his availability for both games and his effectiveness. The player sounds like he is ready to get back on the field and give it everything he has, but what his role looks like and how much he plays may come down to a coach’s decision.
