Even Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has his limits – and Jaelan Phillips pushed them.
Phillips reportedly agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract ($80 million guaranteed) with the Panthers, leaving the Eagles short-handed at edge rusher after their in-season trade acquisition split town.
The always aggressive Eagles are not expected to be big players in free agency this offseason – trades are another story – but re-signing Phillips was a priority.
He played well in eight games after he was acquired from the Dolphins, recording two sacks and setting the edge against the run.
But the $30 million-per-year price tag shows the demand for edge rushers around the NFL.
Phillips only has 28 career sacks in 63 games and has had two seasons (2023 and 2024) marred by major injury (torn ACL and torn Achilles, respectively).
NFL Network reported Sunday that the Eagles and Phillips were making progress toward a deal that would keep him off the open market.
Once Monday’s negotiation window opened, however, all bets were off.
The Eagles are thin at edge rusher after multiple defections over the last few offseasons, from Haason Reddick to Josh Sweat. It would be a Roseman-esque move to pivot to trading for Jonathan Greenard from the salary-cap-strapped Vikings.
The Panthers ranked No. 28 in the NFL in sacks last season, but Phillips hasn’t had more than 8.5 since his rookie season in 2021.
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The average annual value of Phillips’ contract now ranks No. 8 among edge rushers, just ahead of Josh Hines-Allen (Jaguars) and Brian Burns (Giants). Burns is coming off a 16.5-sack season.
