Jaelan Phillips Is Set to Cash Out in Free Agency. Will It Be With the Eagles or Another Team?
Jaelan Phillips took off after being traded to Philadelphia during the 2025 season. He was an immediate impact player, helping to elevate the Eagles’ defense to an elite level. Phillips is set to hit free agency, though, and will have no shortage of suitors. The Eagles will no doubt be one of those teams, but will they be able to retain him?
Contract Projection
Phillips will be one of the most sought-after free agents in this year’s class. Just 26 years old, Phillips is in the prime of his career and plays a premium position. Those types of players don’t hit free agency very often. Outside of Trey Hendrickson, Phillips is viewed as the best defender on the market.
This premium status is conveyed in his contract projections as well.Spotrac currently projects his contract to be a three-year deal for roughly 52 million dollars, with an average annual value of about 17 million. Given Phillips injury history, it is possible he takes a short-term, “prove it” deal. This would give him the opportunity to bet on himself having a big 2026 campaign and then landing a more lucrative deal in 2027. For now, though, he is more likely to take a long-term deal with a massive payday. Will the Eagles be able to offer that type of contract to retain Phillips?
Eagles Salary Cap
Currently, the Eagles have just below 10 million in salary cap space with about a month until free agency. This is not set in stone, though, as Howie Roseman will be working to free up as much space as possible. Cornerback Michael Carter II is expected to be released or traded before free agency, which would free up almost nine million in cap space, bringing the team’s total to about 19 million. There are other moves to free up cap space that can be made around the margins, but Carter is the only realistic option that makes a substantial impact.
How Roseman structures contracts is more important than the cap space, though. The majority of the Eagles’ contracts are structured to borrow from future years to pay current contracts. In other words, Roseman will be able to find a way to make it work financially if he desperately wants Phillips back.
Retaining Jaelan Phillips: Pros and Cons
Jaelan Phillips is an exceptional player, and the Eagles would be fortunate to have him back. There are some risks associated with him, though.
Pros
The most obvious advantage would be that Phillips is a great player. As seen after trading for him, he fit into the Eagles’ defense like a glove. He would be the team’s top edge rusher and an excellent pass-rushing complement to Jalen Carter’s interior rush. The team also does not have depth at its defensive end position currently. The only two under contract for the 2026 season are Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. While they are both good players, inserting Phillips back into the mix would help strengthen their defensive line. Retaining a young player in the prime of his career is a no-brainer.
The Eagles are also better equipped to get the most out of Phillips in a way other teams can’t. Jaelan Phillips played the best football in his career in 2023. After being acquired by the Eagles in 2025, he was again superb. The common denominator? Vic Fangio. Fangio has talked very highly of Phillips throughout their time together. The most notable came after Phillips’ Eagles debut against the Green Bay Packers, whenFangio was asked about the Eagles trade for Phillips and responded with “When you shop at Nordstrom, you get good stuff.”
The Eagles are also still in a championship window. They would be smart to stay aggressive, retaining as many elite players as they can. Retaining Phillips undoubtedly makes them more likely to win a Super Bowl than if they were to let him walk.
Cons
Quinyon Mitchell, cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles
Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (27) tackles Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) during the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
While the pros outweigh the cons, there is still some risk.
As previously mentioned, Jaelan Phillips does carry some injury risk. Phillips had two separate injuries in the same knee in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. First, he tore his Achilles tendon, then partially tore his ACL. Two season-ending injuries to the same leg in back-to-back seasons are a cause for concern.
The Eagles also need to be aware of their upcoming contract extension candidates. On defense alone, there are numerous young, rising stars in a position to get paid sooner rather than later. Players like Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are already eligible for extensions. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, and the previously mentioned Jalyx Hunt will be eligible after the 2026 season. Roseman and the Eagles could decide that the money they could pay Phillips would be better spent with these players.
Lastly, the Eagles would be in line for a compensatory pick if Phillips signs elsewhere. Based on the contract projection of three years, 52 million dollars, the Eagles would be in line to receive a third-round pick. While that wouldn’t help them immediately, it would offset the third-round pick the team gave up for Phillips, and give them another opportunity with a premium draft pick.
The Eagles have about a month to decide how they want to attack this situation, although Howie Roseman and company would be wise to retain their star defensive lineman.
Main Image: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images