Dolphins’ starlet has surgery on torn Achilles.
Jaelan Phillips, the Miami Dolphins edge defender who suffered a torn Achilles against the New York Jets on Friday, announced on social media that the procedure went well and that he is expected to make a speedy recovery. “Day 1 of many!” Phillips wrote on Instagram. “I am built for this!”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said on Wednesday that he is not considering a timeline for his star outside linebacker’s recovery, and suggested that the procedure was more traditional than the one Aaron Rodgers had undergone.
Phillips ruptured his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter Friday night in a 34-13 blowout of the rival New York Jets at MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Phillips rushed at the snap for a one-on-one pass rush and went down hard, unable to get to his feet until a cart carried him off the field.
In the postgame locker room, Phillips was on crutches and wearing a boot on his injured right leg, but he seemed more cheerful talking to his teammates than he had been crying in the aftermath of the injury.
On Saturday, McDaniel confirmed what many had suspected after watching the injury: that Phillips’ Achilles was indeed dislocated. On Sunday, McDaniel said that Phillips would make a decision on a surgeon in the next day or two.
On Tuesday, the Dolphins officially put Phillips on injured reserve, meaning his season is over. To provide depth at outside linebacker, the Dolphins signed veteran pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad. Pierre-Paul is a Deerfield Beach native.
“He’s a force on the edge,” McDaniel said. “I’m pumped for the team to have a player of his experience, of his esteem.”
After Pierre-Paul’s first practice with the team, he said, “I am home.” Pierre-Paul was born and raised in Broward County, not Miami. “People want to know if I could do it again or not,” Pierre-Paul said. “There’s only one answer to that question.”
“Hard Knocks” cameras captured the emotional aftermath of Phillips’ injury and showed it on Tuesday night’s second installment of the series that follows the team through the final three games of 2023.
The Jets will likely start Andrew Van Ginkel in Phillips’ place, while Emmanuel OGBah will see an increase in playing time. Rodgers returned to practice just a few days after suffering the same Achilles injury.
The Jets announced Wednesday that Rodgers is eligible to return after being on injured reserve for 79 days. Rodgers was injured in New York’s season opener against Buffalo Bills. The two teams will face each other again on Dec. 17 at the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins have designated Chris Brooks to return after he was seen at Wednesday’s practice. Brooks was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s injury report. Head coach Adam Gase has previously said that the undrafted rookie was close to a return after he suffered a knee and ankle injury in the team’s win over Carolina Panthers on Oct. 15.
With Brooks still on IR, the Dolphins have opened up the 21-day window to activate him. Brooks could provide some much-needed depth to the Dolphins’ running back unit, which has been missing De’Von Ahane for six out of the last seven games and has played in just three of those games. Brooks is listed as a “limited participant” due to his ailing knee.
Achane practiced with a compression sleeve on his right leg on Wednesday as he looks to return after being listed as questionable last week. Brooks is now the seventh player on Miami’s active roster to return from either injured or non-football injury lists in 2023. The NFL permits teams to bring back eight players, so Miami will have one more opening for the remainder of the season.
On Wednesday’s injury report, McDaniel noted that several players would miss practice, saying the team was recovering from “bumps and bruises” from last Friday’s victory over the Jets. That was indeed the case, with wide receiver Tyreek Hill listed as a non-injurious player, Jevon Holland as a non-participant with a knee injury, Mostert as a running back with an ankle injury and Lamm as a tackle with a back injury.
Terron Armstead (knee, quadriceps) left practice early in the morning, but returned later in the day. T.J. Smith (knee) and Lance Kendricks (knee) did not practice. T.Y. Mostert (knee) was at practice but his level of participation did not meet the definition of a “limited” day.
On the injury report, outside linebackers Bradley Chubb, Robert Hunt, Connor Williams, and Robert Jones were listed as limited. Alec Ingold, a fullback, was listed as limited with a foot/ankle issue. Receiver Chase Claypool, a defensive back, was listed as a limited player with a shoulder issue. Blake Ferguson, a long snapper, was also a limited player with an ankle issue.
With the Dolphins having a short week leading up to their game against the New York Jets on Black Friday, it also created a two-day gap between them and Washington Commanders on Sunday with a weekend off.
