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Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
The Washington Commanders are in dire need of a quick fix at edge rusher in 2026 after fielding one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2025 — one that lacked any discernible, consistent pass rush threats.
The answer to all of their problems might come from an NFC East Division rival with Philadelphia Eagles free agent edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
The Eagles made a deft move trading with the Miami Dolphins for Phillips right before the NFL trade deadline and he ended up being the missing piece on a defense that wound up being elite down the stretch.
While the Eagles understood Phillips might just be a high-profile rental down the stretch, Phillips also made himself an attractive option in free agency, where Spotrac predicts his market value in the realm of a 3-year, $52 million contract.
Number for Phillips Could Top Out Much Higher
There’s little doubt that number could go much, much higher over the next month before free agency starts — as high as $80 million — and PFF called the Commanders the “Top Landing Spot” for Phillips in 2026.
“After foregoing the opportunity to upgrade their edge defender unit last offseason, the Commanders paid the price in 2025, ranking among the NFL’s lowest-graded defenses (53.7, 27th),” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “A season-ending knee injury to Dorance Armstrong limited the rotation, resulting in the Commanders’ 23rd-ranked pass-rush win rate off the edge. Now, with their top pressure generators Von Miller and Jacob Martin scheduled to enter free agency, this projects as a good time to upgrade the position. Although injuries limited his time on the field in previous seasons, Phillips showcased his talent as a pass rusher in 2025. He didn’t rack up massive sack production, but he posted the seventh-highest pass-rush win rate (19.1%) among qualifying edge defenders while ranking in the 85th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets.”
Eagles Could Complicate Things for Phillips
While a massive payday for Phillips, 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds, would be the dream scenario, a different, less appealing outcome for him could come in the form of a franchise tag from the Eagles.
“Phillips is entering the prime of his career and has no shortage of potential,” Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport wrote. “But he also has a fairly extensive injury history — one that makes signing the five-year veteran to a long-term deal something of a risky proposition. The projected franchise tag for defensive ends isn’t cheap —$26.6 million. The Eagles are also short on cap space, with $10.4 million in wiggle room. But Philly also doesn’t have much depth on the edge, and losing Phillips would be a major blow, so the tag could be a possibility.”
If that happens, the Commanders could try to make a splash in free agency with another edge rusher like Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby, which would require a complicated trade scenario, or Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
If all of that falls apart — or even if it does come to fruition — another likely outcome for the Commanders would be to use the No. 7 overall pick on an edge rusher. In that scenario, the Commanders would hope Texas Tech’s David Bailey or Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. drop to them.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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