The Buffalo Bills mic’d up defensive tackle Harrison Phillips during practice at the Bills Stadium.
One of the best stories coming out of training camp so far for the Buffalo Bills is the return of defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. The Bills drafted Phillips in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and this past year he looked to be on his way to a breakout year.
However, an ACL injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 cost him the remainder of the season. This week during a virtual call with the media, Phillips announced that he is fully cleared and ready to go.
On Thursday, the Buffalo Bills held their practice inside Bills Stadium, which was the first time this year, and they had Phillips mic’d up. In the video, it is clear just how much fun Harrison Phillips is having being able to practice again.
Over the course of the video, they capture a conversation with Ed Oliver as well as Harrison Phillips celebrating after a play where Jerry Hughes intercepts the pass.
Harrison Phillips appear ready to breakout in 2020
Harrison Phillips has quickly become a fan favorite and he looks to be in position to finally become a starter in this defense. Last year, Phillips was close to actually out-snapping the current starter, Star Lotulelei, prior to his injury.
This season though Lotulelei has opted-out and will not be playing for the Buffalo Bills in 2020. While there is competition in the form of players like Vernon Butler, Vincent Taylor along with a few other players, this should be Phillips job to lose.
The biggest concern was obviously how he would recover from that knee injury but based on his comments earlier in the week and the way he was moving in the video, that injury appears to be well behind him.