Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers got off to a 3-0 start in the 2025 NFL season. Still, adversity is hitting their front in the form of season-ending injuries like Nick Bosa’s. On that note, Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins might have just what they are looking for.
The starts to the NFL campaign couldn’t be any more different for the Niners and Phins. While San Fran manages to escape with close wins even without Purdy, Miami can’t secure a victory, and Tua’s leash is only getting shorter. Still, stranger things have happened, and the two opposite-coast organizations might become trade partners sooner or later.
San Francisco has a major hole to fill in its defensive front-seven after losing Bosa for the remainder of the season to a torn ACL. Miami is headed for the league’s basement, and the garage sale might open up down in South Florida. If that happens, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips is believed to be a player drawing significant attention in Vice City.
According to reports from Pro Football Network, Phillips could be just what the doctor ordered for a team like the 49ers. However, it might engage in a competition with other sides like the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jaelan Phillips at Hard Rock Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
California dreaming
Born in Redlands, California (in the outskirts of San Bernardino), joining the Niners might be a dream come true for the former first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Phillips already lived out one big aspiration when he was drafted by the Dolphins after playing his final year of college for the Miami Hurricanes. However, prior to his stint in Coral Gables, the outside linebacker had played for the UCLA Bruins in his home state. Now, an unparalleled opportunity to return home might be presenting itself to the 26-year-old defender.
Starkly different realities
Moreover, it seems the championship window has closed in Miami. Meanwhile, if the 49ers can weather the storm, who’s to say what the ceiling is for the organization in the Golden State? Like buildings in San Francisco, perhaps the Niners are built to bend and not break. However, that will be put to the test as they face a tough schedule with key injuries in nearly every area.
It’s still early in the 2025 NFL season, though. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins aren’t giving up just yet, with 14 games left to be played. However, if Miami continues its downward spiral, the Niners would be wise to dial up the 305 area code and work out a deal with the Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins
As for Miami, parting ways with a homegrown draft pick is far from ideal. Especially when it comes to one of the few first-round selections the Dolphins actually got right in recent years. Still, Phillips has yet to sign an extension ahead of his rookie deal expiring this offseason.
In a way, tossing in the towel now might be better than watching Phillips walk as a free agent after the season ends. Frankly, Miami’s year could be over long before that.
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