The Eagles secured a win on Sunday to advance to the divisional round of the postseason. They may very well be without a key starter on defense, however.
Linebacker Nakobe Dean exited the contest with a knee injury. Shortly after being carted off the field, the 24-year-old was ruled out for the remainder of the game, and he may not be able to suit up again this year. Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report Dean is feared to have suffered a “significant” knee ailment which will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the postseason.
An MRI is scheduled for Monday, and it will offer a clearer outlook for Dean. Provided the former third-rounder is confirmed to be out of the lineup the rest of the way, though, his absence will be acutely felt by the Eagles. Dean managed a much healthier campaign in 2024 than he did last year (when he was limited to only five games), and he took full advantage of his full-time starting role. His 128 tackles were a career high, and they placed him second on the team. With three sacks, Dean also chipped in as a blitzer during his breakout campaign.
Injuries were a red flag coming out of the draft for the Georgia product, although he was able to put together a full season during his rookie campaign. He played all-but exclusively on special teams that year, but his snap share increased in 2023 before climbing to 92% in 2024. Before exiting the contest, Dean recorded six stops, including a pair of tackles for loss.
He and first-team All-Pro Zack Baun formed one of the league’s top LB tandems over the course of the season, but if Dean remains unavailable the rest of the way Philadelphia’s defense will be notably shorthanded. Oren Burks (who primarily handles special teams duties) filled in after Dean was injured. Burks logged a pair of starts during the end of the regular season, and he will likely be counted on to do the same next week when the Eagles host the winner of Monday’s Vikings-Rams matchup.
