He Used to Be the Enemy — Now Jordan Mailata Can’t Believe He’s Wearing Green Beside Him.QQ
Philadelphia Eagles star left tackle Jordan Mailata couldn’t be happier to have edge rusher Jaelan Phillips on his side.
Philadelphia Eagles star left tackle Jordan Mailata couldn’t be happier to have edge rusher Jaelan Phillips on his side following the team’s latest trade.
After hearing the news that the Eagles traded a 2026 third-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins for Phillips, all Mailata could think about was the time the veteran edge rusher gave him and right tackle Lane Johnson a tough time in 2021.
“Super excited by that pick, man. He’s awesome,” Mailata said, via NBC Sports. “Guy has a lot of tools in his bag but they’re not rusty. He sharpens them and keeps them. He has a lot of answers for a lot of the stuff that we do. Not only did he give Lane some trouble, he gave me some trouble too. Glad he’s on our side now.”
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That game was two years ago, but Mailata remembers it well, despite the Eagles’ 31-17 win. Phillips finished with seven tackles, two quarterback hits, two pressures, one tackle for loss, and one sack under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense.
Lane Johnson is just as stoked to have Jaelan Phillips on his team
Not only did that game cross Mailata’s mind, but right tackle Lane Johnson’s too, since that’s who he was lined up against for most of the game.
“It was a good battle, yeah,” Johnson said. “He’s a great pass rusher. Came off of injury, I guess a couple years ago, but man, he’s 6-6, 265, a lot of length, and I think his best years are yet to come. I’m super excited he’s with us.”
Injuries haven’t been too kind to Phillips. His 2023 season ended early with a torn Achilles, while his 2024 season was cut short with an ACL injury. He’s managed to bounce back from both of those brutal injuries.
“He’s one of those guys that can be a game-wrecker,” Johnson said. “He’s familiar with Vic’s scheme. Lucky we got him.”
Phillips, who was drafted by Miami in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, joins the Eagles after posting 25 total tackles and three sacks in nine games so far this season. He’ll have a chance to add to those numbers with Philly in need of a reliable pass rusher alongside Nakobe Dean.
