The Philadelphia Eagles are putting their undefeated record on the line when they host the Denver Broncos in Week 5. While the Eagles are sorting out some of their issues, it appears that they’ll be getting some reinforcements soon.
According to The Athletic’s Zach Berman, linebacker Nakobe Dean will return to practice on Wednesday as the Eagles have opened his practice window. The 24-year-old has been out of action since tearing his patellar tendon in the wild card round of last year’s playoffs and is looking to add a boost to a defense that ranks 16th in scoring defense and 19th in yards per play this season.
On the surface, this appears to be good news, but it also creates a linebacker logjam that may outweigh the benefit of getting the key defender back.
Eagles Face Tough Decision as Nakobe Dean Nears Return
Dean has been a solid player for the Eagles and broke out in his first full season in a starting role. With 128 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and an interception, he had the look of a starting linebacker until he suffered his injury last January.
Unfortunately, a Lisfranc fracture limited him to five games in 2023, and Dean’s injury history turned him into someone who couldn’t be trusted, so the Eagles put a plan into motion.
It started when the Eagles re-signed linebacker Zack Baun in free agency and continued when Philadelphia traded up to select Jihaad Campbell in the first round of April’s draft. Both of those moves have paid big dividends early in the season as Baun has an 87.1 overall grade and Campbell has an 83.4 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. But the question now is how the Eagles will get Dean on the field with Baun and Campbell playing so well.
One possibility is to use a bigger defense with three linebackers to get their best players on the field. The Eagles could benefit from a smaller rotation at pass rush, where Jalyx Hunt and free agent addition Ogbo Okoronkwo haven’t stepped up, and Nolan Smith was lost for an extended period with a triceps injury. The secondary could also use one less player on the field, as Adoree' Jackson struggled before getting hurt, and Keele Ringo hasn’t taken the step forward that many imagined this year.
That also exposes defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit, which has held opposing quarterbacks to a 78.7 passer rating (7th in NFL) through the first four games. It’s also uncertain what version of Dean they will get coming off a major knee injury.
The fact that Dean is practicing shouldn’t be a surprise to the Eagles, as it falls in line with his August prediction of a Week 5 return. But when assessing the full situation, it feels like his return has created more problems than answers. It gives head coach Nick Sirianni and his staff some tough decisions when he returns sometime in the next three weeks, and could shape Philadelphia's defensive outlook for the rest of the season.