Coach: LB to ‘come back with a vengeance’
MIAMI GARDENS — An MRI confirmed that Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips’ injured Achilles tendon is “torn for sure” and he will miss the rest of the season, coach Mike McDaniel announced Saturday.
“We all know he’ll come back with a vengeance when his time comes, but he’s got a long journey for sure,” McDaniel said during a Zoom call with reporters the day after Phillips was injured in the fourth quarter of a 34-13 win against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Pushing off for his pass rush with a little more than nine minutes left in the game, Phillips went down without contact in severe pain. He was lifted onto a cart and taken from the field.
McDaniel said Phillips traveled home with the team and that Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles at MetLife in their season opener, “was working some channels [through mutual connections] to get in touch with Jaelan” Friday night to discuss recovery options.
“I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard great things about Aaron Rodgers and the type of human being he is,” McDaniel said.
Rodgers sought out orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache for his September surgery in hopes of an accelerated return from what is usually four to 12 months of recovery from Achilles tendon reparative surgery.
“He’s a smart guy that’s not afraid to chase the most exotic science, and Jaelan Phillips, he’s not one of those oldschool ‘I’ve always done it this way type of guys.’ He would be open to whatever,” McDaniel said. “Player relationships, it’s important for the actual tangible rehabilitation. But it’s also important to talk to guys that have been through similar situations.”
In positive news, McDaniel said left tackle Terron Armstead’s quad injury “isn’t as serious as Isaiah [Wynn]’s,” and his status is “game to game, week to week.” Armstead left midway through the third quarter of Friday’s game and was replaced by Kion Smith.
Prior to tearing his Achilles Friday, Phillips had three tackles for loss and a sack against the Jets to extend his sack streak to five games, the longest by a Dolphin since defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah in 2020. A 2021 first-round pick, Phillips posted a team-high 15.5 sacks while playing all 34 games the past two seasons, and he’s tied with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins for the team lead in sacks (6.5) this season despite missing three games because of injury.
“You don’t necessarily replace Jaelan Phillips, but you can have guys that are fully capable to step up and get his production through different ways,” McDaniel said. “We are fortunate to have some depth.”
The Dolphins will count on linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (four sacks) and Ogbah, who was responsible for 1.5 of the Dolphins’ seven sacks Friday, to have increased roles.
“That’s the starting point, and then you just let the players shape what that is exactly to a T,” McDaniel said of shifting roles in Phillips’ absence. “But without a shadow of a doubt, those two individuals will have to step up.” Also, linebacker David Long “will have to step up as well and play a role he has been thirsting for,anyway,” McDaniel noted.
McDaniel said the “worst-case scenario” for Phillips would be to go through rehab “watching us not fully take advantage of our opportunities.”
So, “there’s an element of guys playing for him.” McDaniel added, “As weird as it sounds now, you’ve got to figure out a way for [the injury] to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. That’s the challenge. …You find different ways to make it something that will be a defining moment in a good way.”
Phillips told local media last week that missing games earlier this season was “really tough for me.”
“I’m not going to lie — pretty much that month where I missed 31⁄2 games essentially and was dealing with all those injuries,” he said. “It’s pretty crazy what it can do to you psychologically when it comes to confidence, when it comes to preparedness, just everything. I just felt like I was a shell of myself. Even then I was getting back onto the field, I was second-guessing everything.”
In other news Saturday…
McDaniel was asked about managing usage of receiver Tyreek Hill, who had issues with his hand and ankle Friday, to keep him as healthy as possible. Hill had nine catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Jets, becoming the fourth player in NFL history with at least 1,300 receiving yards (1,324) through his team’s first 11 games. He has 88 catches on 108 targets.
“I will say that targets are not the same as play-time percentage,” McDaniel said. “I think there’s probably 15 to 20 receivers that play more than he does, which is strategic. We want him to be at his best.”
McDaniel noted Hill “has an incredible history of being able to stay healthy and play in games,” but conceded, “He is a guy that does have to protect himself in the field.
“You probably saw on the TV replay how he got rolled up early, which was just unfortunate,” McDaniel continued. “But he’s at a really, really, good juncture in his career. His teammates have expressed it. You can kind of tell by his energy. He’s at another level of professionality. He’s going to make sure that if there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m very confident he’ll take care of himself. And we have a good working relationship, such a trusting relationship with the players and [Head Athletic Trainer Kyle Johnston] where we’re not going to press things too early.”
McDaniel said Liam Eichenberg continues to get better in his transition from center to right guard.
“I really, really like coaching the guy. And right now, we’re at a cool spot where that learning curve is super fast,” McDaniel said. “I think he played [Friday] how we expected him to play — like a starting NFL right guard that is an asset that can make plays.
“He made a couple of plays in the run game that were humongous in terms of the outcome of the game,” McDaniel continued. “A couple of the runs that resulted in points had something directly to do with what he was doing on the line of scrimmage. And I thought he protected the quarterback well. It was an encouraging step. I wouldn’t say that I’m surprised, but you are always pumped when your expectations are matched by actual production.”
McDaniel was asked about tackle Austin Jackson’s ejection following a dust-up with Jets players during an extra-point attempt after Raheem Mostert’s 13-yard touchdown to go up three scores in the fourth quarter.
“It’s not happenstance that it’s the first guy that’s been ejected since I’ve been head coach. That’s something that from the first day I started, I explicitly articulate that stuff outside the whistles
Jaelan Phillips injury: Achilles crusher for Dolphins
The loss of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to a serious Achilles injury is potentially crushing.
But Miami’s defense has enough talent to continue to dominate overall.
As for Holland’s play, teammates were astounded.
“The best play I’ve ever seen,” Miami running back Raheem Mostert said.
“One of the best players I’ve ever really seen or been a part of,” Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins said.
Holland’s big play sort of wiped out the bad memory of two interceptions by Tua Tagovailoa shortly before the half.
“As soon as I saw the ball in the air and where it was and I looked to my left and right and saw everybody boxing out, I are a waste,” McDaniel said. “Ultimately, even in the moment, if you don’t realize this, in hindsight you’ll always recognize that it is kind of a selfish move in regards to you hurt the team and you hurt yourself. The one great thing about Austin Jackson is he’s given me so much reason to trust and believe in his — he shows me every day how coachable he is. I know he was very much in the tank about doing anything negative to the team. He’s really committed his entire life to do the opposite.
“So, I’m very confident that won’t happen again, but it’s something that people have to realize on the front end that their actions have consequences. And if you are getting 15-yard penalties or are getting ejected, those consequences can be quite severe with regards to the team.”
Regarding the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium, which safety Jevon Holland called “trash” after Phillips’ injury, McDaniel was diplomatic.
“I mean, whatever I say is going to be bold print,” McDaniel noted. “I don’t like injuries. I would encourage to follow the science, whatever that is, because I’m not reading books on it and I’m not studying it. That’s not my role. I think everybody is incentivized for the safest situation possible. For me, if I did know with factual evidence through study that any sort of injury was 100% avoidable on a different playing surface, that would make me lose my mind. I would flip over tables. But I don’t have that.
“It would be ignorant of me, meaning lack of knowledge, if I just said ‘Yep, it was the surface.’ I don’t know that. I hope it wasn’t, for sure.” was like, ‘Oh, yeah, I need that,’” Holland said.
Holland ended the game on the bench with a knee injury but he expressed no concern in a post-game news conference. “I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll be all right.” On this night, Holland was more than that.
“Pretty special,” McDaniel said. “When you think back to this game, it’s probably the first play you’ll think of. “So it was a big-time play and something that our team needed.”
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.