MIAMI -- Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips will sit out the rest of the 2024 season because of a partially torn ACL, the team confirmed Wednesday.
Phillips initially suffered the injury during Monday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, when the helmet of teammate Jordan Poyer collided with his right knee while trying to tackle Titans running back Tony Pollard in the second quarter. Phillips was escorted to the locker room for further testing and asked to reenter the game; he did so after being fitted for a brace at halftime.
Dolphins trainers identified some instability in Phillips' knee but determined he could finish the game without exacerbating the injury. Phillips, however, left the game for good in the third quarter when he felt the brace was not helping him.
"I mean it's not exciting at all, especially when you watch someone work so hard to earn every rep," coach Mike McDaniel said. "It's tough. Jaelan has continually impressed me since I've gotten to know him -- he recognizes that this is in a contact sport. This is a contact injury, and he doesn't know the 'why's' necessarily currently, but he knows that he is not going to be worse but going to be better for all those things."
Phillips finishes the season with a sack and eight pressures in four games this season. He also sat out nine games to various injuries last season, most of them because of a torn right Achilles sustained in Week 12. He was able to work his way back from the Achilles tear and was medically cleared to play in August.
The fourth-year veteran announced on his Instagram account he would undergo reconstructive surgery.
"I believe that our lives are defined by how we handle adversity," Phillips wrote. "In these moments of uncertainty, defeat and sorrow, it is natural to question your purpose and wonder what is the meaning of pain. I know that my purpose is to inspire people to never give up, no matter how many times you get knocked down ... The mission is still the mission. I have unfinished business to take care of and I will come out of this trial victorious."
The Dolphins picked up Phillips' fifth-year option this offseason and he will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
With Phillips out, rookie first-round pick Chop Robinson and fifth-round pick Mo Kamara will likely be relied on more than originally planned. Miami also has veterans Emmanuel Ogbah and Quinton Bell to round out its pass rush rotation. Linebacker Bradley Chubb is currently on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a torn ACL in Week 17 of last season and is still working toward a return.
McDaniel said it will take a combined effort to fill the void left by Phillips' absence, and the responsibility won't just fall on one person. The rookies, in particular, will be asked to build on the reps they took while Phillips and Chubb were both inactive during training camp.
"They get to collectively put forth a lot of work that they've absolutely, positively prepared for the situation, as it presented itself," McDaniel said. "There was a tremendous amount of gained reps to learn from and grow through in training camp. And the key thing is that you are not trying to be Jaelan Phillips ... It's a collective step up and it's kind of directly in relation to what the whole team is trying to do right now.
"So, it's not one person necessarily, but I'm confident in the collective because they've given me reason to be confident by their daily output."
The Dolphins will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they face the New England Patriots in Foxborough this week.