Jaelan Phillips Dominates In His Eagles Debut
When the Eagles acquired Jaelan Phillips, they knew they were getting an Edge Rusher who could vastly improve their defense. They badly needed help at Edge Rusher, and they acquired…
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 10: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against Jaelan Phillips #50 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)When the Eagles acquired Jaelan Phillips, they knew they were getting an Edge Rusher who could vastly improve their defense. They badly needed help at Edge Rusher, and they acquired the best one traded at the deadline. But whatever expectations they had for him in his debut, he surpassed.
Phillips took the field for the first time in an Eagles jersey just a week after they acquired him. Usually, you need to give a player time to adjust to a new defense, new teammates, etc. But Phillips needed no such grace period. He took the field vs the Packers, and was arguably the best player on the field for either team.
He did not get a sack. But his 8 pressures were a game high for both teams. He also threw in 7 QB Hurries, 5 Stops, 2 QB Hits, 6 tackles, a 19.4% pressure rate, and of course, this crucial 4th down stop near the end of the game.
His impact was felt throughout the game. I didn't even mention that he recovered a fumble earlier in the game, forced by Nakobe Dean. Whether he was rushing the passer or defending the run, Phillips played a key role in the Eagles brilliant defensive performance.
But it was not just his own performance. You saw how having a high-level edge rusher opened up things for the whole defense. Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith both came away with sacks. Jalen Carter did his usual thing, and batted down 2 passes. And while Moro Ojomo did not add to his team-leading sack total, he made key plays all night that helped his teammates make stops.
What we saw was a complete performance by the entire Eagles D-Line. The group has not been anywhere near as dominant this season as they were last season. The lack of an Edge Rush really stifled the line, and Carter had underwhelmed for part of the season while he battled injuries. But now Carter is healthy, and they added a prolific Edge Rusher in Jaelan Phillips to the mix.
The Eagles have their issues as a team. But if this game was any indication, D-Line is no longer one of them. Thanks in large part to the addition of Jaelan Phillips.
