This game couldn’t have been more of a bag of mixed reactions for the Miami Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips. One moment he was taunting a Titans player, Dikembe Mutombo style, and in the other, he found himself on the turf. He was hurt, emotional, and a bit angry at the time of the injury but returned to the field again, only to get injured twice and leave the game permanently.

He went back on the sidelines after hurting himself again and even angrier this time. This is especially serious because he’s coming off an Achilles injury from last year. Albert Breer provided an instant update on his status on X, saying, “Dolphins DE Jaelan Phillips hobbling off and looks really upset—he, of course, is coming back from an Achilles tear this year.”

The first time it happened was earlier in the game and Phillips was seen limping off the field and grabbing his right knee. The frustration was clear then, but when he got injured in the third quarter, the frustration got even clearer. The Dolphins squad was neck deep in the waters. They couldn’t afford to lose players like this, especially since Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion, but there they stood, trailing by 13 points.

Things took an unexpected turn in the third quarter as the Dolphins trailed 19-6 after a Titans touchdown drive. It was then when Phillips got injured and surprisingly, the DE was not touched in that play. He pulled up and started limping later. Per Marcel Louis-Jacques the Dolphins reporter for ESPN, “Jaelan Phillips hurt again after that play, slammed his hand on the grass several times in frustration. He’s back on the Dolphins’ sideline, sans helmet.”

The fourth year Defensive End left the game and the Dolphins apprised everyone saying, “Injury Update | Jaelan Phillips has a knee injury and has been ruled out.” However, Sports Injury Central reported that the DE’s injury is a “mild right MCL injury.” But the concerning part is that it happened on the same leg that has the ACL tear.

Hence, his return will be heavily monitored, but he’s not expected to go on IR. Well, his frustrations were warranted, considering that he’s coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered last year against the New York Jets in November.

Jaelan Phillips cannot catch a break

There’s a pattern to the injury. Coincidentally, his season-ending injury against the Jets last year was also a non-contact injury that happened in the fourth quarter. Following the damage, he was carted off the field and was declared unfit to play for the rest of the season. Apparently, Field conditions at MetLife also had some part to play in his injury. Raheem Mostert and Jevon Holland were pretty vocal about it, calling the field, “trash.”

After three months after his injury, he spoke with David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and said that “It’s definitely different” contracting a lower-body injury because he’s never had it before. “It’s something that’s kind of new to me because I’ve never had a lower-extremity injury like that — long term, at least. So it’s been cool, it’s been a new experience learning my body and figuring out what to do is best for me. So it’s been great.”

He was “motivated” to bounce back after months of rehab and trying to find “silver linings” to his dire situation. Coming back to the present, before leaving this game against the Tennessee Titans, the Dolphins DE did something iconic. He paid tribute to Dikembe Mutombo, the NBA legend, after defending a pass from Mason Rudolph and giving him a wagging finger. That’s certainly a moment to register before going out. We hope that he bounces back soon.

While it’s a lot to take in, do check out our latest Think Tank exclusive interview with Doug Sanders. It’s packed with insights on the current NFL season, college football, NIL, and much more.