In a noteworthy development that speaks volumes about their confidence in his recovery, the Miami Dolphins have re-signed Emmanuel Ogbah following the retirement of Shaquil Barrett. This move, while significant, is just one of several key adjustments the Dolphins are making as they gear up for the upcoming NFL season.
Celebrating an equally impactful milestone, the Dolphins have activated Jaelan Phillips from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Phillips' return comes just nine months after suffering a devastating Achilles tear during Week 12 of the 2023 NFL campaign. The 24-year-old defensive end was on the verge of a breakout season before the injury derailed his progress.
Phillips' expeditious recovery is a testament to the Dolphins' exceptional training and strength staff, a fact he is quick to acknowledge. "I have such a good training staff here and such a good strength staff, and we've been working our asses off for eight-and-a-half months now," Phillips shared. "I feel very fortunate to be back out here doing what I love again.”
The journey back to the field has been arduous but enlightening for Phillips. "It's just taught me a lot of patience. Your body is going to be ready when your body is ready, so I've just been doing everything humanly possible to give my body what it needs and take the time to get after it,” he explained. This diligent and patient approach was vital for a recovery process that typically spans between nine to twelve months for athletes with Achilles tears.
During his rehabilitation, Phillips drew on the experiences and advice of several NFL peers who had faced similar injuries. "I checked in with him, he's checked in with me throughout the process. His situation is a little different than mine, it's kind of not really comparable in that sense," Phillips said. "Shaq [Barrett] was somebody I talked to, I talked to Kirk [Cousins], but again another quarterback, it's kind of a different situation. Vince Biegel is a guy who I played with. He did his Achilles a couple of times. Cam Akers when I was back in LA doing my rehab, he was there as well.”
These conversations provided Phillips with significant reassurance and confidence. "I've just been picking people's brains and kind of the main takeaway I've gotten from everybody is that they feel 100%. They don't feel like they had to miss a step or whether it's a year or two years afterwards, they don't feel there is an injury there," Phillips noted. "That just definitely reassured me, like I said, the more I've been able to do, the less I've been thinking about the Achilles and the more I've been building confidence. It feels great.”
Phillips' determination to return stronger has clearly defined his outlook. Reflecting on the moment of his injury, he said, "Probably the highest I've been in my NFL career, and then to be humbled just like that, it was devastating. But right when that happened, I remembered going to the shower and I was crying. I just told myself, like 'This is OK. I'm going to attack this. I'm going to get over this and this is going to make me stronger at the end of the day.' I really thanked God. I really said thank you. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, because I know it's going to make me a monster.”
Phillips' tenacious spirit and impressive recovery have been crucial for the Dolphins, particularly given other defensive lineup changes. Christian Wilkins has moved to the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent, and Bradley Chubb is still in the process of recovering from an ACL tear sustained in Week 17. Phillips, who was drafted 18th overall in 2021 and has accumulated 22 sacks and 24 tackles for loss over three NFL seasons, is set to return to gameplay with a renewed vigor to solidify his role as a pivotal figure in the Dolphins' defense.
Without Phillips' activation, he would have missed at least four games if he had stayed on the PUP list during the final roster cuts in late August. His early return not only boosts the Dolphins' defensive arsenal but also sets a tone of resilience and determination for the entire team as they look toward the future.