Jaelan Phillips

Jaelan Everett Phillips (born May 28, 1999) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins and Miami Hurricanes for two seasons each. Phillips went on to study musical production at the Los Angeles City College before transferring to the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in 2019, where he also made a return to football as a player for the Miami Hurricanes. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Early life Phillips was born in Redlands, California, on May 28, 1999, and attended Redlands East Valley High School, where he finished with 264 tackles, 31.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions. Considered the top high-school football prospect from the class of 2017, he received over 20 scholarship offers before committing to UCLA.

College career

As a true freshman in 2017, Phillips played in seven games and recorded 21 tackles (seven for loss), 2 pass deflections, and 3.5 sacks. As a sophomore in 2018, he played in four games before a concussion ended his season. After several other injuries, including being hit by a car while riding a moped, Phillips medically retired from football in December 2018 and enrolled at the Los Angeles City College to study music production.

In 2019, Phillips transferred to the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with the intent to also play football for the Hurricanes. He sat out of the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules but started in 2020, finishing with 45 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception. He was named a second-team All-American and All-ACC and was considered a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award. He chose to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL draft.

Professional career

Miami Dolphins Phillips was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round (18th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $14 million, on June 9, 2021.

As a rookie, Phillips appeared in all 17 games and started four in the 2021 season. He had 8.5 sacks, 42 total tackles (23 solo), and one pass defended. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. In the 2022 season, he had seven sacks, 61 tackles (37 solo), two passes defended, and one forced fumble.

On April 29, 2024, the Dolphins picked up the fifth-year option on Phillips' contract. On July 18, Phillips was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list due to a torn Achilles tendon he suffered the previous season. On September 30, Phillips suffered a knee injury in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans. This was the second consecutive season in which Phillips ended up out for the rest of the season on injured reserve.

Phillips started all nine games he appeared in for Miami in 2025, recording one fumble recovery, three sacks, and 25 combined tackles.

Philadelphia Eagles On November 3, 2025, the Dolphins traded Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2026 third round pick (87th overall, Will Kacmarek). In his first game with the Eagles, Phillips recorded six tackles and a crucial red zone fumble recovery in a 10–7 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Carolina Panthers On March 11, 2026, Phillips signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions 2021 MIA 17 5 42 23 19 8.5 9 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2022 MIA 17 15 61 37 24 7.0 8 1 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 2023 MIA 8 6 43 28 15 6.5 7 0 0 0 1 5 5.0 5 0 2 2024 MIA 4 3 6 2 4 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 2025 MIA 9 9 25 15 10 3.0 3 0 1 4 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 PHI 8 8 28 14 14 2.0 4 1 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 4 Career 63 46 205 119 86 28.0 32 2 5 4 1 5 5.0 5 0 11

Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Fumbles Interceptions 2022 MIA 1 1 9 4 5 0.5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2025 PHI 1 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 Career 2 2 9 4 5 0.5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0