Dolphins must be cautious with Jaelan Phillips despite miracle recovery

The Miami Dolphins made the decision to bring Jaelan Phillips back, removing him from the PUP list. Of course, this is great news, but now, they have to exercise caution with him on the field and that might be harder than fans think.

Phillips returning after only 8.5 months is impressive, an almost NFL miracle, but the Dolphins now have to keep Phillips from himself and they need to protect their roster as well. An Achilles injury isn't easy to overcome and the fact Phillips has recovered enough speaks volumes of the modern health science advances for sports medicine.

The Dolphins have two more preseason games to go before taking a week off ahead of the start of the regular season. Phillips will not play in either of those games; at least, he better not. In fact, Mike McDaniel would be much smarter to sit down with Anthony Weaver and discuss Phillips' actual return time to the practice field. Phillips will be back on the field, but if the Dolphins want him to take reps in team drills, it might not be a smart idea.

Getting Jaelan Phillips back is a huge win for the Dolphins defense

Phillips may be returning, but he still needs to get into football shape. One-on-one drills are a great way to get him the work he needs, but anything more than that could prove to be a mistake. Miami needs to be careful, and there is no other way to look at this.

For Phillips, caution is also important. He is healthy enough to return, but he has to remember that his NFL future also needs to be considered. It's a win for the Dolphins and for Phillips that he is back for the start of the season; now, they need to make sure that happens.

Phillips' return will have a huge impact on the Dolphins' defense, but his long-term health this season is paramount, and that supersedes a fantastic recovery. He needs to sit out the preseason and then the staff can sit down and decide whether or not he should play Week 1. Fans don't want to hear it, but keeping him off the field come Sept. 8 might be wise. We'll find out soon if he's ready to rock for that showdown with Jacksonville or not.