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The Miami Dolphins won big over the New York Jets on Black Friday, but the victory was bittersweet after former first-round linebacker Jaelan Phillips was carted off with an Achilles injury.
Not long after Phillips left the game, video of the non-contact play went viral — shared by JPAFootball on X.
In the clip, Phillips’ right calf ripples, as if there was some sort of release of tension. ESPN’s Adam Schefter even noted that “Phillips’ Achilles appeared to pop on the replay.”
“It doesn’t look great,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said candidly after the win, “but we’ll find out more tomorrow.” He added that “I don’t want to get ahead of myself but [I’m] not fired up about it.”
Sun Sentinel beat reporter David Furones also relayed that Phillips was seen with two crutches and a right walking boot inside the locker room. The Dolphins will likely provide an update on the defensive playmaker on Saturday, November 25.
Dolphins Teammates Sound Off on MetLife Turf, Jaelan Phillips Injury
The MetLife Stadium turf has earned a bad reputation around the league when it comes to non-contact injuries. And despite totally overhauling the playing surface this offseason, there have still been several issues in 2023.
In fact, the Jets and Giants — who share MetLife as their home — have both been ravaged by injuries more than most. NYJ quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on the opening drive of the season, and this turf has drawn the ire of players and fans for many years.
That didn’t change after the Phillips injury.
“It’s tough, especially playing on this turf,” running back Raheem Mostert voiced during his postgame press conference. “No player wants to go down [with] a significant injury — you saw what happened to Rodgers, very first game, first series — it just sucks, man.”
“We gotta do something about this turf and this playing surface,” Mostert added. “Obviously, it’s still a major problem… it just has to change.”
Safety Jevon Holland also called the MetLife turf “trash” according to ESPN beat writer Marcel Louis-Jacques.
On his teammate’s departure, Holland stated that “it’s really difficult” to lose a teammate mid-game, but the defense felt like they had to “finish the job because that’s what [Phillips] wanted.”
Finally, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, Coach McDaniel concluded the following about Phillips after his injury:
“[Jaelan is] the type of person and he has the right mindset where he’ll be able to turn anything that’s perceived as negative into a potential positive. But this is going to be tough and trying for him.”
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Speaks on His Ankle Injury After Week 12
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill had another big game in Week 12, posting nine catches for 102 receiving yards and a touchdown. There was another brief injury scare for “the Cheetah,” however, as Hill left the game with an ankle injury momentarily.
“After the game, once the adrenaline started rolling down a little bit, it sucks,” Hill told reporters on his ankle ailment (via Sun Sentinel reporter Chris Perkins), “but at that moment, it had happened, and my adrenaline was like — ‘nah… ain’t nothing going to take me out of this game.”
“It was just one of those moments that I got tangled up with [cornerback] D.J. Reed and yeah, that was it,” the Dolphins superstar elaborated.
After speaking with the media, Hill posted on X. “Proud of this team ✌🏿,” he voiced.
Miami will enjoy a nine-day break as they prepare for the Washington Commanders in Week 13. At this time on November 24, Heavy projections powered by Quarter4 gives the Dolphins a 67% win probability in Washington.
They’ll also wait on the results of the Kansas City Chiefs game on November 26. If KC were to lose to the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami would control possession of the No. 1 seed in the AFC via tiebreaker over the Baltimore Ravens.
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