The Philadelphia Eagles training camp is officially underway as the Super Bowl champions reconvened on Wednesday at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia. With only 43 days left until the Eagles' season opener, Nick Sirianni and the coaching staff will get a chance to make their final evaluations of the roster.
Fortunately for the Eagles, the camp is off to a positive start as they received good news from their coveted rookie Jihaad Campbell. The talented linebacker is finally back on the field for Philly after spending the entire offseason sidelined with a shoulder injury, per Eagles insider Zach Berman.
Jihaad Campbell will be out at practice today.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) July 23, 2025
Nick Sirianni: “Any time you’re able to step out in the field, it’s huge.”#Eagles
Eagles Rookie Jihaad Campbell Finally Joins Philly for 1st Training Camp Practice
No one is happier than Sirianni about this news. CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr reported that Sirianni referred to his rookie linebacker being out there as "huge."
Campbell underwent shoulder surgery before the NFL Draft. Some were left wondering whether that had to do with the Alabama star falling in the draft when he was expected to be a top-15 pick. The Eagles front office, however, is never the one to hesitate in taking a big swing. They moved up one spot from their last selection in the first round to snag Campbell, who finished his final season at Alabama with 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
The best part of Campbell's return is that he is seemingly earlier than the initial date defensive coordinator Vic Fangio suggested in the offseason. Fangio had said that Campbell wouldn't be back fully practicing until August. Even though we don't know the extent and intensity of the rookie's first practice, he does seem to be on the right track to return.
Philadelphia will need Campbell to step into a big role right away, as Nakobe Dean started the camp on the PUP list. During Dean's absence, the rookie defender has a chance to earn the starting job immediately.
After losing several key contributors on the defensive end this spring, the Eagles need to find value from the rookies and newcomers. Fangio has been an expert at that, and Eagles fans hope that Campbell will follow in the footsteps of Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell and be an instant contributor in Year 1.