As Jaelan Phillips rounded the corner and extended his right arm to swap the football attached to the makeshift, orange, lifeless, and pad-stuffed quarterback, the Miami Dolphins defender looked no different than his fellow pass rushers.
The speed was there and he probably moved a little faster than his fellow edge rushers.
The curve showcased his world-class athleticism since he emerged as the country’s most promising high school talent in his teens.
As Phillips pushed the blocking sled forward and forced the improvised offensive linemen away from the supposed line of scrimmage, it became clear that he had the necessary power.
Phillips has been eight and a half months into a nine- to 12-month rehabilitation process for an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in his right leg during a 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 24. On his first day of practice with his teammates, he resembled an NFL player, maybe even a starter.
“It was great, but it was a temptation,” said Phillips, whom the Dolphins activated from the physically unable to perform list (PUP) on Monday, allowing him to do individual drills and participate in a walk-through for the first time all training camp. “I need more.”
Phillips was allowed to dip his toes in the pool and test his body on Monday.
While the roster move suggests he will begin the season on the 53-man roster barring a setback, there are no guarantees.
But what we do know is that the Dolphins have needs.
Miami suffered a number of injuries at the outside position last week – Grayson Murphy and Cam Brown were placed on the injured list and they were forced to sign two more players – Wyatt Ray and David Anenih – to get through the final two weeks of training camp.
Phillips was already ahead of schedule, so Dolphins decision makers decided to take him out of the bubble wrap, give him the green light to practice, and then see how things go.
“Your body is ready when it’s ready. So I just did everything humanly possible to give my body what it needs and took the time to do it,” Phillips said.
What happens next depends on how Phillips’ body responds, and the most important lesson the 25-year-old has learned from his recent setback is “patience.”
“We’ve been working our asses off for eight and a half months now,” said Phillips, who contributed 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and an interception in eight games last season. “I feel very lucky to be back here doing what I love.”
Phillips has consulted a number of professional athletes who have suffered a similar injury and gone through the rehabilitation process, including quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins, who each suffered a torn Achilles tendon in 2023.
“The most important thing is that you trust the surgery and believe in it,” said former NFL cornerback Brent Grimes, who joined the Dolphins in 2013 after suffering an Achilles injury that reportedly threatened his NFL career. “Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t approach it the same way.”
Grimes said the Achilles tendon should be treated like a broken bone that has now healed. Of course, the muscle in Phillips’ right leg needs to regain some strength and power, but he needs to “expect” it to respond rather than wait for it.
Basically, it’s about trusting that the physical rehab is over and then addressing the mental aspect of the injury. That was often the biggest challenge for Phillips as a professional athlete.
Because of this, he has since relived the moment of his injury nearly a dozen times, including by watching the episode “Hard Knocks” in which the story is documented.
“I was crying and telling myself, ‘This is OK. I’m going to deal with it. I’m going to get over it and at the end of the day I’m going to be stronger for it,'” Phillips said, recalling a moment he spent alone in the shower in the Metlife Stadium locker room after his injury.
“I really thank God. I really said thank you,” he continued. “Thank you for giving me this chance, because I know it’s going to make me a monster.”
