New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots didn’t acquire anyone before Tuesday’s trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t try.
In fact, New England pursued a trade for star edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, according to Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The Miami Dolphins sent Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday for a third-round pick.
“Not that it matters at this juncture, but per league sources, the Patriots were definitely in the Jaelen Phillips trade market,” Giardi wrote Wednesday in an X post.
Phillips would’ve solved the Patriots’ glaring need for pass-rushing help, as the former Dolphin has averaged eight sacks per 17 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2021. Phillips, who has a long injury history, racked up three sacks and 25 tackles in nine games this season before the trade.
Although the Patriots didn’t add players before the deadline, they did subtract from their roster while boosting their draft capital. A week before the deadline, New England traded Keion White and a seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick and sent Kyle Dugger and a seventh-rounder to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-rounder.
The 7-2 Patriots will visit the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.
