The Eagles secured a win on Sunday to advance to the divisional spherical of the postseason. They might very properly be with no key starter on protection, nonetheless.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean exited the competition with a knee damage. Shortly after being carted off the sector, the 24-year-old was dominated out for the rest of the sport, and he could not have the ability to swimsuit up once more this yr. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report Dean is feared to have suffered a “vital” knee ailment which can preserve him sidelined for the rest of the postseason.
An MRI is scheduled for Monday, and it’ll provide a clearer outlook for Dean. Offered the previous third-rounder is confirmed to be out of the lineup the remainder of the best way, although, his absence can be acutely felt by the Eagles. Dean managed a a lot more healthy marketing campaign in 2024 than he did final yr (when he was restricted to solely 5 video games), and he took full benefit of his full-time beginning function. His 128 tackles had been a profession excessive, they usually positioned him second on the group. With three sacks, Dean additionally chipped in as a blitzer throughout his breakout marketing campaign.
Accidents had been a pink flag popping out of the draft for the Georgia product, though he was capable of put collectively a full season throughout his rookie marketing campaign. He performed all-but solely on particular groups that yr, however his snap share elevated in 2023 earlier than climbing to 92% in 2024. Earlier than exiting the competition, Dean recorded six stops, together with a pair of tackles for loss.
He and first-team All-Professional Zack Baun fashioned one of many league’s prime LB tandems over the course of the season, but when Dean stays unavailable the remainder of the best way Philadelphia’s protection can be notably shorthanded. Oren Burks (who primarily handles particular groups duties) stuffed in after Dean was injured. Burks logged a pair of begins through the finish of the common season, and he’ll doubtless be counted on to do the identical subsequent week when the Eagles host the winner of Monday’s Vikings-Rams matchup.
