The Arizona Cardinals gave defensive lineman Jordan Phillips a nice three-year, $30 million contract a year ago after a career season in 2019. He had 9.5 sacks with the Buffalo Bills.
However, his 2020 season with the Cardinals was disappointing, marred by injuries.
As such, in Pro Football Focus’ rankings of the top 32 interior defenders entering the 2021 season, he was left off the list.
It is understandable.
He played in only nine games and had only two sacks and 11 tackles. He did force two fumbles and recovered one.
His two sacks came in the first three games of the season.
After that, he dealt with a hamstring injury. He hurt it in Week 7, battled back to play after the bye but reaggravated it and landed on injured reserve.
He recovered and returned Week 14 against the New York Giants, only to reinjure it. He landed on IR again and his season was over.
He was the Cardinals’ priciest free agent addition in 2020 and was a huge disappointment.
Entering 2021, they need him to be the disruptive force he was in 2019 for Buffalo. He will have Chandler Jones, missed most of the season on injured reserve, next two him again and now will have J.J. Watt on the field with him this season.
Phillips understandably is not on any top defensive tackle list, but in a year from now he needs to be or he will have become one of general manager Steve Keim’s worst free agent signings.
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