If the Jets decide to turn sellers at the 2027 NFL trade deadline, Harrison Phillips looks like one of the easiest veterans to move.
The defensive tackle is on an expiring contract, and his spot on the roster becomes even shakier by the week. New York’s defensive line and interior pass rush have already underwhelmed, and now fourth-round rookie Darrell Jackson Jr. is starting to flash as a possible answer against the run.
If that growth keeps coming, Phillips starts to look like a luxury the Jets don’t need. A few more losses could push them in that direction.
So if New York starts taking calls, these four teams make sense as possible landing spots.
Chicago sits at the top of the list. The Bears’ issues in the NFC trace back to their defensive line, and Phillips would not change the pass rush.
Still, with Gervon Dexter gone after the trade and the team expected to draft a tackle, Phillips could help stabilize things in the short term. Ryan "I traded a high second-round pick for Chase Claypool" Poles could be someone who overpays the Jets to secure one of his top targets.
Cleveland is another club that could circle back. The Browns already saw Phillips up close in the Jets’ Week 5 win, and there’s a case that they might have come out on top if he had been able to slow down Braelon Allen.
Mason Graham is amazing, but he’s hurt, and he can’t do it alone when he’s healthy. Phillips could give Graham the veteran help he needs as he works toward becoming more than just a good player.
Baltimore also fits the profile of a team that likes to keep adding experienced run defenders. Phillips could be next on the list for an Eric DeCosta move.
He wouldn’t have to start ahead of Travis Jones at nose tackle, but he could give the Ravens useful depth behind a fragile Nnamdi Madubuike and 40-year-old Calais Campbell. His versatility may be enough to justify sending a pick the Jets’ way, and Jesse Minter seems more than capable of carving out a role for him.
Pittsburgh rounds out the group. With Derrick Harmon banged up again and Cameron Heyward still quite long in the tooth, the Steelers could use another veteran presence in the middle of their defensive line.
Phillips would give them a run-stuffer who can help keep late Day 3 picks from having to shoulder too much of the rotation during a playoff push. His veteran moxie will fit in well on a Steelers team that is gearing up for one last charge before Aaron Rodgers hangs it up.
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