Is the third time really the charm? Jordan Phillips seemed to think it was after the Dallas Cowboys released him. This came after he was designated to return back on October 23. A reunion with the Bills makes sense as he is in the twilight of his career and chasing a championship.
Add in the fact that he was traded from the New York Giants to the Dallas Cowboys, he is still struggling to find a home after he left Buffalo at the end of last season.
Read below for the full injury analysis as Phillips begins his third stint with the team.
Injury History
A portion is taken from my article over at Buffalo Rumblings back in 2022.
2015 Miami Dolphins
Missed 1 game. Was inactive in Week 3 as a healthy scratch. Ankle injury, Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans, was probable for the next two games, a knee injury in Week 8 against the New England Patriots, was questionable but played. He also suffered a shoulder injury in Week 12 against the New York Jets.
2016 Dolphins
Missed 0 games. Suffered an ankle injury Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, was questionable for Week 2 against the New England Patriots, did not miss.
2017 Dolphins
Missed 3 games. Suffered a left ankle injury, side not specified, in the Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Was doubtful for Week 3 and questionable for the next two games, missing all of them for three games total. Was later questionable for Weeks 8 and 15 with an ankle injury, though it isn’t clear whether this was the same ankle.
Based on the timeline when he missed the three games and reports that he was in a walking boot, this suggests that he suffered a high ankle sprain. The available articles do not clarify this but this would be a likely culprit.
2018 Dolphins/Buffalo Bills
Missed 0 games. Phillips dealt with a shoulder injury in the preseason with the Dolphins that caused him to miss some practice but it did not appear to limit him later during the season. He was later waived after Week 4 by the Dolphins and picked up by the Buffalo Bills. He did not have any publicly reported injuries requiring a game-day designation.
2019 Bills
Missed 0 games. Phillips appeared on the injury report prior to the Pittsburgh Steelers game in Week 15 with a knee injury possibly suffered in practice. He was able to play through the injury without a game-day designation and his snap count appeared to be within his normal ranges.
2020 Arizona Cardinals
Missed 7 games. Phillips suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 against Washington and was questionable for Week 3. He dealt with an illness, deemed questionable prior to Week 5 against the New York Jets.
He then sustained a foot injury in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys before injuring his hamstring, side not specified, in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Cardinals had a well-timed bye in Week 8 and Phillips was questionable heading into Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins. He, unfortunately, aggravated the hamstring strain, missing one game before being placed on injured reserve prior to Week 11 for a three-game stint. He was later activated prior to Week 14 against the New York Giants before reinjuring the same hamstring early in the game and placed back on injured reserve, ending his season.
2021 Cardinals
Missed 9 games: eight regular season, one postseason. Phillips struggled out of the gate in training camp with a back injury and a stint on the COVID-19/Reserve list starting on August 19 and lasting until September 2 that cost him all of training camp—landing him on injured reserve to start the season. He missed the first five games before being activated in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
Phillips then suffered a groin injury against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, making him questionable the following week. He sustained a thumb injury in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, was questionable for Week 15 against the Detroit Lions where he dealt with an MCL knee sprain, side not specified, that cost him the remainder of the regular season and the playoff loss to the Rams.
2022 Bills
Left Hamstring strain, Week 2, missed 2 games.
Phillips injured his left hamstring during the Matt Milano pick-six against the Tennessee Titans as noted in the video below.
Illness, Week 11, missed 0 games.
Eye, Week 12, missed 0 games.
Right shoulder rotator cuff/labrum tear, Week 13, missed 2 games.
Right shoulder, Week 18, missed 1 game.
Phillips aggravated his right shoulder injury and was forced to miss the Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins but returned for the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. To read more on his injury, click below.
2023 Bills
Illness, Week 3, missed 0 games.
Back, Week 7, missed 0 games.
Right knee, Week 10, missed 0 games.
Dislocated right wrist, Week 15, went to IR, missed 5 games.
To read up on the full details regarding Phillips’s wrist injury and surgery, click below.
2024 New York Giants/Dallas Cowboys
Right wrist injury, Week 2, missed 5 games, on IR.
Phillips re-injured his right wrist in the Week 2 game versus the New Orleans Saints. It’s not clear if this was an aggravation of his original wrist dislocation, but Phillips didn’t believe his wrist injury was severe enough to warrant an injured reserve stint.
His window to return to play was opened on October 23 and he was able to return to practice before his release on Tuesday.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Every time Phillips signs here, the outlook gets worse. I know he plays an incredibly physical position but his battered body was a strong reason the Bills did not bring him back after the 2023 season. His injury issues really started after he signed his big contract with the Arizona Cardinals and he did not live up to that. Those problems continued during his time with the Bills as seen above.
Just looking over the last several years with the Bills, the hamstring, the rotator cuff and labrum tear, the dislocated wrist, his body has seen better days. As he was signed to the active roster, his body is fresher due to not playing since Week 2, but how quickly will it begin to break down again? Will we see acclimation injuries like a calf, hamstring, or back? Can he be an effective player for the final two months of the season? The wrist is healthy enough as he passed a physical, but still, things don’t look great.
I’m not a fan of this signing because I don’t think his body can handle NFL play anymore. If he’s in the Bills starting lineup come the playoffs, we’re in trouble. Unless Phillips knows that Lake Erie is a fountain of youth, let’s hope that Phillips doesn’t have to play a heavy amount of snaps. His knowledge of the defense and what he brings as a veteran may be enough to offset my concerns, but there can only be so many rah-rah guys in the locker room.
However, I do wish Jordan Phillips the best of luck and to remain healthy.
Top Photo Credit: AP Photo/Matt Durisko
