The Miami Dolphins dominated the New York Jets in the NFL's first-ever Black Friday game. But Miami's 34-13 win at MetLife Stadium proved to be costly. Standout pass rusher Jaelan Phillips fell to the turf in the fourth quarter.
Phillips was visibly emotional as he was eventually carted towards the team's locker room area. T
The non-contact injury appeared to bring Phillips' season to an end, with the Dolphins later ruling out the star linebacker for the remainder of the game with an Achilles injury.
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Phillips had a walking boot on his right ankle and was seen using crutches after the game. Second-year Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel did not express confidence about hopes that Phillips was able to avoid a serious injury.
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"It doesn’t look great but we’ll find out more tomorrow," McDaniel told reporters. "I’m not fired up about it."
Phillips later took to social media to express his disappointment, but also vowed to return to football and be "stronger than ever."
"Absolutely devastated, but I feel strength in knowing that this is all a part of God’s plan, and that I have an incredible team and support system around me. I’ll be back stronger than ever," Phillips wrote on X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
Dolphins safety Jevon Holland made a game-changing interception to close out the first half. But after the game, Holland expressed his frustration over his teammate's injury. The defensive back believes Phillips' injury could have been prevented if the Jets' home stadium featured a different playing surface.
From Holland's point of view, the infamous turf inside MetLife Stadium was "trash."
"That field was trash," Holland said via the Miami Herald. Holland also mentioned that he was aware of the stadium's field conditions heading into Friday's matchup with the Jets. He also recalled former Dolphins cornerback Jamal Perry's knee injury in 2021 during a game at the stadium.
MetLife Stadium installed new artificial turf prior to the start of this season following a string of complaints about the playing surface.
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Holland also suffered an injury late in the game, with the Dolphins saying his return was questionable with a knee injury at the time.
Phillips has recorded 43 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks, and one interception this season.
