Sources: Linebacker Jaelan Phillips leaves Eagles for Panthers - ESPN

Former Dolphins and Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips has agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal with the Carolina Panthers that includes $80 million in guarantees, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Eagles acquired Phillips from Miami at the November trade deadline for a 2026 third-round draft pick. Phillips called landing in Philadelphia «literally the greatest thing that has happened to me in my whole life, probably,» noting how welcoming everyone was and how much he liked the environment.

He proved to be a fit both in the locker room and in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme, having played under Fangio earlier in Miami. Phillips appeared in eight regular-season games and finished with two sacks, seven quarterback hits, a forced fumble and four passes defended, helping to solidify one of the top defenses in the NFL in 2025.

A first-round pick out of Miami in 2021, Phillips has dealt with his share of significant injuries, including a torn Achilles in 2023 and a partially torn ACL in 2024. He played in all 17 games this past season, however — marking the first time he had done so since 2022.

Phillips, 26, has 28 career sacks and 68 quarterback hits in 63 games.

ESPN's Tim McManus contributed to this report.