Even though the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive struggles have understandably received the lion's share of attention, the defensive unit has also not been where it needs to be to start the season. Vic Fangio's defense is not looking nearly as suffocating as it did last season, currently ranking in the middle of the pack in terms of both points and yards allowed. Injuries and individual underperformances have obviously played a role in that, but the Eagles have to turn things around to have a chance at repeating as Super Bowl champions.
Fortunately, they received excellent news from Nakobe Dean earlier this week. Dean, who had torn his left patellar tendon in the Wild Card round last season, took the practice field for the first time since then on Wednesday. This means that the Eagles have 21 days to activate him without him counting towards the 53-man roster.
Eagles Fans Have to Wait Longer to See Nakobe Dean in Action
Having a player of Dean's caliber back in action will certainly be a boost for the Eagles' defense. However, fans have to wait a little longer to see him out there, as the 24-year-old linebacker announced on his Instagram that he won't be activated this week against the Broncos, per 94WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks.
As disappointing as this surely was for Dean, it is to be expected. The fourth-year player has had a long layoff of nearly nine months. His long rehab process included unorthodox methods like taking up ballet. Dean has already had a variety of serious injuries throughout his short career, including a foot and a Lisfranc injury that kept him out for the majority of the 2023 season. When he first came into the league, he had a pectoral injury that reportedly caused his slide to the third round of the NFL Draft.
Therefore, it is understandable that the Eagles want to be cautious with Dean. It is still early in the season, and Philadelphia is hoping to have a deep postseason run once again. Rushing a key defensive back early without a proper ramp-up process doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when you are already 4-0.
Once Dean is ready to return, the Eagles have to make a few difficult decisions. Rookie Jihaad Campbell and Zack Baun have been doing an excellent job in the middle of the defense for the Eagles. Fangio will have to do some juggling to find enough of a role for Dean upon his return.