Among many concerns for the Philadelphia Eagles with last week's loss to the Chicago Bears was the fact that rookie Jihaad Campbell never took the field for any defensive snaps. The first-year linebacker was healthy and available but simply not included in Philly's defensive game plan for Friday's frustrating loss. If you're waiting for a reasonable explanation as to why defensive coordinator Vic Fangio isn't going to help shed any light. Per 94WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks, the 67-year-old coach opted to hold Campbell out due to issues against the run.
However, Nakobe Dean, who was Campbell's replacement, has a 34.9 Pro Football Focus grade against the run. For reference, the rookie is currently sitting at a mark of 73.1, which is second-best on the time. In other words, replacing one struggling run defender with another and offering the above explanation simply doesn't add up.
Fangio did at least offer that he should've gotten the rookie more snaps in last Friday's frustrating loss. This isn't a surprising takeaway for a defense that gave up nearly 300 rushing yards without the rookie seeing any defensive responsibilities.
It is simply impossible to imagine that Campbell could be anything but an improvement over what the Eagles had on the field. At the very least, Philly should've utilized the young linebacker as an occasional blitzer. Campbell has the ability to get to the quarterback, something that the Eagles struggle to do consistently.
Jihaad Campbell's Eagles Future Is Murkier Than Ever
Fangio's thinking would make sense if Dean presented a massive improvement over Campbell, but that isn't the case. Instead, the Eagles are taking a risk by putting all their chips on Dean, whose post-injury performance isn't coming close to matching what he did last season, per PFF:
Statistic | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Overall PFF Grade | 77.4 | 46.5 |
Run Defense Grade | 82.5 | 34.9 |
Pass Rush Grade | 63.8 | 55.3 |
Tackling Grade | 82.5 | 79.7 |
Coverage Grade | 62.4 | 54.6 |
That's without mentioning how Dean is only averaging a run stop on 11.0% of opportunities compared to the rate of 18.5% he finished with last year. Going from stopping the run on about two of every 10 downs to just one can't be ignored.
To put it simply, Campbell simply couldn't have been any worse, and this was a rare miss from Fangio. One that should be adjusted this week with since it's clear that more playing time for Dean and less for Campbell isn't exactly a recipe for success.
Campbell is a work in progress and won't get any better sitting on the bench. Putting him in the lineup sporadically, either in the middle of the field or as a pass rusher, is a decision that Fangio must make before it's too late. The last thing the Eagles want is to squander Campbell's potential because they favor Dean, who isn't guaranteed to return in 2026 due to his upcoming unrestricted free agency.
There simply is far too much talent and promise to ignore and waste as the Eagles attempt to put their season back on track. As bizarre as his usage has been, Campbell is exactly what Philadelphia needs right now, putting the ball in Fangio & Co.'s court.