The Philadelphia Eagles lost a lot of key talent this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Yet, they are bringing back their elite linebacker group led by Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean. With the addition of rookie Jihaad Campbell, the Eagles will continue to be a formidable unit there.
One question mark surrounding the linebacker group is Nakobe Dean's injury. The 24-year-old defender tore his patellar tendon in the Wild Card round against the Green Bay Packers, and was ruled out for the rest of the playoffs. Oren Burks stepped in and performed admirably in the final stretch of the season, but the Eagles need their former third-round pick to be back to his fully healthy self next season.
Fortunately for them, Dean is taking his injury rehab very seriously. In fact, he is even trying an unorthodox training to assist with his rehab.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Brendan Brightman and Matt DeLucia, the Eagles linebacker has taken up ballet to help with his recovery. Dean says that the ballet exercises help him with flexibility and mobility.
"There's way more flexibility, of course. Way more mobility. It's definitely something that's helping with my rehab. You just feel a change immediately. After you stretch, you're not as tight or as sore. "Nakobe Dean
Not only is ballet one of the more demanding and athletic dances there is, it also works up muscle groups that football players are generally not used to training. These types of cross-training methods are generally recommended for elite athletes, and Dean said that he is "trying to be the absolute best version" of himself through his newfound interest in ballet.
Dean has dealt with various injuries throughout his three-year career. In 2023, he suffered a foot injury and a Lisfranc injury that kept him out of all but five games that season.
It sounds like Dean is on track to get back to the field in Week 1. The Eagles will hope that the talented linebacker picks up where he left off last season, as Dean was in the midst of his best campaign as a pro before he went down.