The Philadelphia Eagles have a short week and travel to play the New York Giants in an NFC East contest on Thursday Night Football.
They are quickly turning the page on the loss and are looking ahead to their next matchup. While they are preparing for that game, it looks like linebacker Nakobe Dean could be back on the field. According to Eagles reporter Eliot Shorr-Parks, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio revealed that Dean may be active versus the Giants.
Fangio added that if Dean does play, he won't have a full workload, considering he missed training camp and hasn't played in months.
Nakobe Dean May Be Active for Eagles vs. Giants on TNF
The Eagles opened Dean's 21-day practice window last week and have used this time to allow him to ramp up. It has been a tough couple of months for Dean, as he tore his patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers last season.
That forced him to undergo surgery and rehab tirelessly to get to this place. Nonetheless, Philly fans may see No. 17 out there on Thursday night. The Eagles' linebacker room features Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell leading the way. Baun leads the team in total tackles (42), with a 78.2 overall grade (22nd among 137 graded linebackers), according to Pro Football Focus.
Campbell is also making plays, ranking third on the squad in total stops (33). Per PFF, he has an 83.8 overall grade (9th among 137 graded linebackers) and an 83.8 coverage grade (5th among 137 graded linebackers). He was a limited participant on Monday with a biceps injury, so potentially getting Dean back could be fantastic depth.
Even if Dean can give the Eagles a couple of reps, it would be nice to see him out there. Last season, the Georgia product put up career-highs in total tackles (128), tackles for loss (9), and pass deflections (4). He was someone who thrived in Fangio's system, and Philly fans hope to see more of the same going forward.
It'll still take time for Dean to get his legs underneath him, especially since he hasn't played a football game in 10 months. The way he looks and feels after practice this week will likely be the final hurdle to see if he gets activated to the active roster.
Having said that, Fangio isn't worried about how Dean will work in with both Campbell and Baun, saying, "We'll figure it out," on Tuesday (h/t Delaware News Journal's Martin Frank).
If Fangio is confident about Dean's outlook, Eagles fans should feel similarly, especially if each passing day brings him closer to a return.