Former Buffalo Bills linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips is staying in the AFC East, signing a one-year free-agent deal with the New York Jets.
Phillips, an unrestricted free agent, made his professional debut during Buffalo’s 2020 season-opening win over those same Jets. He would appear in two games last year, battling a quadriceps injury that he suffered in the opener that twice caused him to go on the injured reserve. All 14 of Phillips’s snaps last year came on special teams.
Phillips, 24, went undrafted out of the University of Illinois. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons and appeared in five preseason games for the Falcons in 2019 before being released.
The Bills signed Phillips to their practice squad in October of 2019 before agreeing to a reserve/future contract with him in January of 2020.
The Bills have been active at linebacker this offseason, retaining inside linebacker Matt Milano on a four-year contract extension, extending linebacker/special teamer Tyler Matakevich for one more season, and bringing back linebacker Andre Smith on a two-year contract extension.