The New England Patriots organization has dominated the better part of the 21st century, with Super Bowl LX set to be their 10th Super Bowl appearance since 2002. After losing quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, New England finally endured the long-awaited rebuild the rest of the NFL was waiting to see. Nevertheless, in just a few short seasons, they're back in the Super Bowl.
The Patriots' quick rise back to the top means they've surpassed several teams in their rebuild along the way, and unfortunately, to the Miami Dolphins' faithful, that includes their dear team from South Florida. New England is now set to make its 12th Super Bowl appearance of all time and will set a record one way or another of either most SB wins or most losses in the big game when they take on the Seattle Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins haven't won a playoff game in 25 years and haven't appeared in a Super Bowl since January 1985, in Dan Marino's sophomore NFL season. And the Dolphins' 2026 season is projected to be another discouraging one for the franchise, with a new head coach and general manager getting their feet wet.
Yet, it could be even more discouraging at the start of free agency if the Patriots land one of Miami's former first-round selections once the offseason kicks off.
Former Miami Dolphins first-round pick Jaelan Phillips predicted to sign with Patriots in free agency by PFF
In Pro Football Focus' latest article, "One 2026 free agent that every NFL team should pursue," writer Bradley Locker has the Patriots targeting pass rusher Jaelan Phillips this offseason. Phillips was drafted by the Dolphins No. 18 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and spent the back half of the 2025 season with the Philadelphia Eagles after Miami traded him in return for a third-round pick ahead of the trade deadline.
Phillips was set to be a free agent this offseason, so it made sense for the Dolphins to deal him for some compensation rather than letting him walk. According to Spotrac, Phillips' market value for 2026 is $17.3 million annually. Given his injury history and the Dolphins' direction of a rebuild, re-signing him was not truly in the cards.
Phillips did play in all 17 regular-season games this past year, plus Philadelphia's Wild Card round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. However, he had appeared in just 12 games total between the two seasons prior. When on the field, Phillips has been a significant factor. It's just that it had been few and far between for Miami down the stretch of his Dolphins career.
When the trade happened, most Dolphins fans were undoubtedly grateful that he had at least been traded out of the conference. Thus, it's not welcome news to see that he could be back in the division and squaring off against the Dolphins twice a season less than a year later. Unfortunately, Locker's prediction of Phillips to New England makes a lot of sense.
First, where Miami has some tough salary cap decisions to make despite the surprising boost NFL teams are expected to receive this offseason, the Patriots have "another chunk of change to utilize this spring." Then, there's the fact that New England's defense has been solid overall this season, but pass rush is one area where they could look to improve, with PFF grading them 29th at the position. In addition, K'Lavon Chaisson is set to be a free agent.
Phillips had just five sacks this past season and has never had more than the 8.5 he totaled in his rookie year. Nevertheless, he is one of the best at creating QB pressures. That could be enough for a Mike Vrabel-led defense to make a difference and persuade the Patriots to make a significant offer to the former Miami Hurricane.
By all accounts, Dolphins fans are hoping that Locker is wrong on this projection to avoid seeing Phillips back in the AFC East. At the same time, many fans are likely hoping that he is right in his prediction of Miami landing former Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis this offseason, who has been strongly linked to the Dolphins following Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley's introductions to the team.