Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips expected to be in Minnesota this week, getting ready to help lead the Vikings back to the playoffs as a captain.
But life in the NFL can change very quickly. And so it was, on Monday morning after a whirlwind few days, Phillips found himself not in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but in Florham Park, standing in the middle of the Jets locker room trying to process the new opportunity in front of him.
And, admittedly, it was a lot to process after a trade for a late-round pick sent him to New Jersey last week.
“It was a little bit of a surprise just being a captain up in Minnesota,” Phillips said. “Some of the things I was [doing] off the field there and, I think I was the head coach and GM’s first signing a free agency four years ago.”
Yes, it was a big transition for Phillips, who spent four seasons with the Bills before spending the last three in Minnesota. But it wasn’t that hard for the 29-year-old to wrap his mind around this new opportunity, in part because of how his now former head coach framed it for him after the trade.
“Actually, when Kevin O’Connell said I was getting traded he kind of talked up what’s happening here,” Phillips said. “It gave me a little bit better understanding. It’s been a few years since I’ve kept up with AFC East news.”
But during his four years with the Bills, he already knew one thing for sure.
“How much this city wants to win,” Phillips said. " And I’ve known that for a long time. I’ve known about Jets fans for a long time playing."
Now he is getting to see it from the inside of the Jets facility. And he’s seeing a different vibe around the team he used to go up against twice a year, when they weren’t competitive in the AFC East.
“You just [can] feel the optimism amongst the players, the staff, the new wave of people that are coming in here,” Phillips said. “And so like I said, I’m just really excited. Initial shock. And then once I got it kind of decipher and peel back the layers of the onion, I was like, ‘This is going to be a great opportunity.’”
There are other perks to the new gig, like getting to play in a defense that has finished the last three seasons top 5 in fewest yards allowed, and getting to play alongside Quinnen Williams, who has been one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles since the Jets picked him No. 3 overall in 2019.
He also knows his new coach, Aaron Glenn, is a big fan. Glenn, who was impressed by Phillips in his time as the Lions defensive coordinator, and admired his work twice a year when the two teams played.
Phillips ended up re-upping with the Vikings. But now, he’s with the Jets and Glenn will be able to utilize him in his new scheme with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
But most important of all, the fact that the Jets dealt for Phillips and Jowon Briggs (addressing their depth and talent at one of their thinner positions) is further proof that the new regime isn’t waiting looking to ease into their first season. They want results, now.
“This is a win now mindset,” Phillips said. “We are a great football team. I think that it’s been clear from the time that I’ve got here and just looked up and down the roster.”
Even in the three days since he arrived, Phillips has taken time to rewatch some of the practices from camp and he likes what he sees.m
“There’s a lot of pieces to the puzzle here,” he said. “Every season is completely different, and you need to find ways on how you all come together. It’s not always the most talented team that wins football games. I think it’s the most connected team that wins football games.
“And I just was walking with a rookie down the hallway and I asked him, ‘What do you think the best thing about the Jets is? I’m new here. What’s our secret sauce?’ And he said, ‘How great the people are.’ And I think that that’s, you know, the people in the football are probably the two most important things in the sport.”
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Andy Vasquez may be reached atavasquez@njadvancemedia.com.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.