Logo

The Eagles Should Re-Sign Jaelan Phillips

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 16, 2025

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips has quickly gone from being a mid-season acquisition to a key piece of a Super Bowl-caliber defense. And as his contract expires at the end of the season, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the Eagles should prioritize bringing him back.

Phillips will be a free agent after this season, but his impact in Philadelphia has been strong enough that it’s difficult to imagine the Eagles letting him walk. After arriving from the Miami Dolphins just before the trade deadline, the 26-year-old has immediately proven to be an excellent fit in Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently published a column identifying the one free agent each team should "prioritize" re-signing — and, unsurprisingly, Phillips was his choice for the Eagles.

This analysis is hard to argue with. Earlier in the season, Philadelphia’s pass rush struggled significantly. Losing Josh Sweat and Milton Williams after the Super Bowl left a major void, and the Eagles failed to find a long-term replacement. Phillips may have arrived as a short-term solution, but he is performing at a level that clearly warrants a new contract.

Looking ahead to next season, the pass rush could once again become a major concern. Phillips is set to hit free agency along with Brandon Graham, Azeez Ojulari, Josh Uche, and Nakobe Dean. Re-signing Phillips would give Philadelphia the long-term stability they desperately need. If they don’t, they risk finding themselves in the same difficult position in 2026 that they faced earlier this year.

Just Three Hours After Being Released by the Packers, 2× Pro Bowl Star Deletes Every Post About Green Bay After His Attempt to Take a Pay Cut to Stay Was Rejected — His Vow Never to Return Leaves Packers Nation in Sympathy .
Green Bay, Wisconsin – The offseason took an emotional turn for the Green Bay Packers when the organization decided to release veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins as part of a salary-cap adjustment. But what happened just hours later turned the situation into one of the most emotional storylines of the week across the NFL. According to multiple reports, Jenkins — a two-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro honoree — had attempted to negotiate with the team and even offered to take a pay cut in order to remain with the franchise that originally drafted him. The effort ultimately fell short as Green Bay chose to move forward with a roster reset, clearing nearly $20 million in cap space for the 2026 season. Just three hours after the release became official, fans began noticing something unusual on Jenkins’ social media accounts. Every post connected to his years in Green Bay — from locker room celebrations to photos wearing the iconic green-and-gold uniform — had quietly disappeared. Jenkins had been one of the pillars of the Packers’ offensive line since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. Throughout multiple seasons, he built a reputation for rare versatility, capable of playing guard, tackle, and center at an elite level, and was widely regarded as one of the most reliable and flexible offensive linemen in the league. At his peak, Jenkins was often described as Green Bay’s “secret weapon” on the offensive front. He protected multiple quarterbacks over the years and helped anchor an offense that consistently remained competitive during several playoff runs. His ability to seamlessly shift across nearly every position along the offensive line made him one of the most trusted players inside the Packers’ locker room. At first, the decision to erase those memories surprised many fans. But once reports surfaced that Jenkins had been willing to sacrifice financially just to remain with the team, the reaction across Packers Nation quickly shifted from shock to empathy. Green Bay will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where my journey truly began. But sometimes you fight to stay somewhere and still realize that chapter has ended, and when that moment comes, the only thing you can do is walk away with respect for every memory that was built there. While Jenkins did not criticize the organization, sources close to the situation say the emotional weight of the release influenced his decision to remove the posts. What surprised many even more was the report that Jenkins has told people close to him that he does not plan to return to Green Bay at any point in his career, choosing instead to start an entirely new chapter elsewhere in the NFL. Yet instead of anger, the reaction from Packers fans has largely been one of understanding. For many supporters, Jenkins’ willingness to take a pay cut simply reinforced what they had long believed. He wasn’t just protecting the quarterback on Sundays.He was trying to protect a home he once hoped would last his entire career.