Eagles Get More Bad News on Nakobe Dean Injury to Start Monday
Update: Dean has reportedly torn the patellar tendon in his knee and will miss the rest of the playoffs. Our original story follows below:
#Eagles LB Nakobe Dean, at the tail end of a breakout season, suffered torn patellar tendon in his knee and is out for the playoffs, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2025
A tough blow for Philly and for Dean, who has a long road to recovery. He’ll likely miss the start of next season. pic.twitter.com/xtNdv5ttEQ
The Philadelphia Eagles finished the regular season with a 14-3 record and entered the playoffs as one of the top teams in the NFC. The second-seed Eagles hosted the seventh-seed Green Bay Packers and beat them 22-10.
They are advancing to the Divisional Round and will face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Minnesota Vikings. That contest is scheduled for Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. EST, but the Eagles will likely be without linebacker Nakobe Dean.
#Eagles LB Nakobe Dean, who was carted off during last night’s playoff win, is feared to have suffered a significant knee injury that would knock him for the playoffs, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2025
He’ll have an MRI this morning to deliver the full news. Dean emerged as a… pic.twitter.com/TPgkZTNydX
Eagles News: Nakobe Dean Likely Done for Playoffs
According to Ian Rapoport, Dean is feared to have a significant knee injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the postseason. He will undergo an MRI to see the severity of the injury.
During the second quarter, Dean made a tackle on Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft and left the game right away. He was carted off the field and was seen using crutches and a brace around his knee following the game.
Really tough to see Nakobe Dean leaving on crutches in a brace pic.twitter.com/kvbMGMhb0t
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 13, 2025
Not having Dean out there will be a loss for this Eagles defense. In 15 games for Philadelphia this season, Dean was second on the team in total tackles (128), nine TFLs, three sacks, and four pass deflections.
Per PFF, the Georgia product had a 74.5 overall grade (30th among 189 LBs) and an 80.4 run defense grade (26th among 189 LBs).
Before going down with the injury, Dean had six total tackles. Thankfully, Philadelphia has Zack Baun playing at an elite level, but losing Dean will hurt the second level of that defense.
They'll have to rely on the combination of Oren Burks and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to fill in the gap going forward.
Dean was limited to five games in 2023 due to a Lisfranc injury and now got hurt at the most critical point of the 2024 season. That's a tough blow for both Dean and the Eagles organization.
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