Omar Kelly: Jaelan Phillips says his injury is 'going to make me a monster'

MIAMI — As Jaelan Phillips rounded the bend and extended his right arm to swap the football attached to the makeshift orange, lifeless quarterback filled with padding, the Miami Dolphins defender looked no different than any of his fellow pass rushers.

The speed was there, and he was probably moving a little faster than his fellow edge rushers.

The bend showcased his athleticism, which has been all-world ever since he was the No. 1 high school prospect in the country back in his teenage years.

As Phillips pushed on the blocking sled, jamming the makeshift offensive linemen off the would-be line of scrimmage, it became evident the power was present.

Phillips, eight-and-a-half months into a nine-to-12-month rehabilitation process for an Achilles tendon injury he sustained in his right leg on Nov. 24 in a 34-13 win over the New York Jets, resembled an NFL player, maybe a starter, in his first day of practice with his teammates.

“It was great, but it was a tease,” said Phillips, whom the Dolphins took off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list Monday, allowing him to do individual drills, and participate in a walk-through for the first time all training camp. “I need more.”

Phillips was allowed to dip his toe in the pool, testing out his body Monday.

Even though the roster move hints that he will begin the season on the 53-man roster if he doesn’t have a setback, there are no guarantees.

But what we do know is that the Dolphins have a need.

Miami had a rash of injuries at the edge position last week — losing Grayson Murphy and Cam Brown to injured reserve and were forced to sign two more — Wyatt Ray and David Anenih — to make it through the final two weeks of training camp.

Phillips was already ahead of schedule, so the Dolphins’ decision makers opted to take him out the bubble wrap, giving him the green light to practice, then see where things go from there.

“Your body is going to be ready when your body is ready, so I’ve just been doing everything humanly possible to give my body what it needs, and take the time to get after it,” Phillips said.

What comes next depends on how Phillips’ body responds, and the biggest lesson the 25-year-old has learned from his recent adversity is “patience.”

“We’ve been working our [butts] off for eight-and-a-half months now,” said Phillips. who contributed 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and an interception in the eight games he played last season. “I feel very fortunate to be back out here doing what I love again.”

Phillips has consulted a number of professional athletes who have had a similar injury and undergone the rehabilitation process, and that includes quarterbackd Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins, who each sustained Achilles tendon tears in 2023.

“The biggest thing is you got to trust and believe the surgery,” said former NFL cornerback Brent Grimes, who joined the Dolphins in 2013 coming off an Achilles tendon injury that supposedly threatened his NFL career. “Don’t fear it. Don’t baby it.”

According to Grimes, treat the Achilles like it’s a broken bone that’s now healed. Of course the muscle in Phillips right leg needs to regain some strength and power, but he needs to “expect it” to respond instead of waiting on it to.

Basically, have confidence that the physical rehab is over, and tackle the mental aspect of the injury, and that has often been Phillips’ biggest challenge as a professional athlete.

That’s why he has relived the moment of the injury nearly a dozen times since it’s happened, which includes watching the “Hard Knocks” episode that chronicles it.

‘“I was crying and I just told myself, like, ‘This is OK. I’m going to attack this. I’m going to get over this and this is going to make me stronger at the end of the day,’” Phillips said, recalling a moment he had by himself in Metlife Stadium’s locker room shower after the injury happened.

“I really thank God. I really said thank you,” he continued. “‘Thank you for giving me this opportunity because I know it’s going to make me a monster.”

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