Dolphins Linebacker Jaelan Phillips Out For Season With Knee Injury

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips will miss the rest of the 2024 NFL season after suffering a partially torn ACL against the Titans. It is another meaningful loss for a sputtering Dolphins team.

“The mission is still the mission,” Phillips wrote in an Instagram post after announcing the injury this week. “I have unfinished business to take care of and I will come out of their trail victorious.” 

Since his rookie season in 2021, Phillips has been an underrated member of Miami’s defense. In three years, he earned 146 combined tackles and 22 sacks, earning a reputation as a highly capable pass rusher. He missed half of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles, however, and only managed to start four games this season before suffering another setback.

To replace Phillips, the Dolphins signed former Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser on Thursday. Bowser most recently spent time on the Seahawks’ practice squad. He played for Baltimore for seven seasons but had to miss all of 2023 because of an injury. He will not be expected to handle all of Phillips’ former duties but could assist rookie Chop Robinson and others who will try and make up for his absence.

The impact of this loss on the Dolphins’ defense is compounded by the team’s sudden ineptitude on offense. Since quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited the team’s game in Week 2 with another concerning head injury, Miami has only managed to score one touchdown. Without Tagovailoa under center, offensive stars like Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane have languished. It is unclear when he will return.

If the Dolphins’ offense doesn’t improve soon, either by bringing in a new quarterback or finding new schemes for quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Skylar Thompson, then it won’t be surprising to see the defense suffer more wear and tear. The Titans dominated time of possession against the Dolphins on Monday and outperformed them in nearly every offensive category.