Injuries have put a damper on what was supposed to be a bright season for the Miami Dolphins. That continued to be the case on Wednesday as standout linebacker Jaelan Phillips announced that he is having season-ending knee surgery.
Phillips, who also saw his 2023 season end early after he tore his Achilles, injured his knee during Monday night’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. He will immediately focus on his recovery with the hope of resuming his career in 2025.
“The mission is still the mission,” Phillips wrote on social media, via NFL Media. “I have unfinished business to take care of and I will come out of their trail victorious.”
When healthy, Phillips has lived up to his billing as a former first-round pick. He had 8.5 sacks as a rookie in 2021 despite only starting in five games. Phillips had seven sacks and a career-high 61 tackles in 2022 and had 6.5 sacks and 43 tackles in eight games last season.
While Phillips is on the mend, wideout Odell Beckham Jr. is one of several Dolphins who is set to return to practice this week after starting the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowler who has been dealing with an undisclosed injury, will have 21 days to practice before he is either activated or placed on season-ending injured reserve.
At quarterback, Tyler Huntley will make his second consecutive start Sunday against the New England Patriots. Huntley is playing in relief of Tua Tagovailoa, who will miss his third straight game as he is still in the league’s concussion protocol.
Miami is 1-3 after dropping each of its last three games. The Dolphins need a win Sunday in order to keep pace with Buffalo (3-1) and the New York Jets (2-2) in the AFC East standings.
