March 3, 2026, 2:09 p.m. ET
This offseason, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could look to add more explosiveness to their pass rush, and one intriguing name to watch, especially if he reaches the market, is edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
Phillips spent the early part of his career with the Miami Dolphins before being traded during the 2025 season to the Philadelphia Eagles, giving him a fresh start in a deep defensive front. When healthy, Phillips has consistently flashed high-end traits, including elite burst off the edge and the ability to generate pressure quickly. However, injuries have been the biggest factor in preventing him from fully breaking out into a consistent double-digit sack producer.
During the 2025 season split between Miami and Philadelphia, Phillips showed the same disruptive flashes in rotational snaps, creating pressure and impacting plays even within a deep Eagles pass-rush rotation. Phillips finished the 2025 season with 5 sacks and a forced fumble. That combination of upside and durability concerns with multiple injuries over his career will likely shape his value heading into free agency.
For Tampa Bay, Phillips would represent more of an upside swing than some of the older veteran edge rushers expected to hit the market.
The Buccaneers have shown they’re willing to rotate defensive linemen to keep the pass rush fresh, and adding a player with Phillips’ athletic profile could help raise the ceiling of the unit without forcing a long-term commitment. Financially, his market could be interesting. According to Spotrac, players with strong traits but recent injury history often land short-term, incentive-heavy deals. That type of structure could make sense for Tampa Bay if they want to bet on upside while managing risk.
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The question is if he could be the true complement to Diaby – or at least stay healthy enough to do so – and if Philly will let him hit the open market.