Eagles Staring At Heart-And-Soul Transplant This Offseason

PHILADELPHIA – Nakobe Dean wasted little time collecting memories in the aftermath of the Eagles’ season-ending playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. He took a picture of his locker, went around the room and gave everybody a hug, coaches included, and made sure he had their contact information.

“I went to everybody, told them I appreciated them, all the coaches, the people I’ve been with for four years,” said the linebacker. “It is weird just not knowing, but it’s an exciting weird at the same time because you just don’t know but something that you worked so hard for coming up with contract negotiations. We’ll see.”

It’s likely the Eagles will need a heart and soul transplant on their defense, because the chances are good that the current heart and soul of that side of the ball won’t be back.

Not with his replacement drafted in the first round last spring, Jihaad Campbell. Not with an injury history that could give pause to a front office looking to save money and salary-cap space for other long-term extensions to players such as Jaelan Phillips, Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean.

“Everybody knows I don’t wanna go nowhere,” said Dean. “I want to stay in Philly, but you know, to be determined.”

Jihaad Campbell A Reason Dean May Not Return

Jihaad Campbll — Eagles rookie Jihaad Campbell | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Currently, the organization's emphasis is on the offensive side of the ball, as the Eagles go outside their walls looking for their next offensive coordinator. Dean’s case will be handled eventually.

The good news for him is he finished the season healthy, unlike the past two years, when he had a foot injury at the end of the 2023 season and a torn patellar to rehab through most of 2024. That puts him in a different place heading into the offseason.

“Let me put this out there,” he said. “I thank God that I’m able to come out of the season healthy. The last two seasons, I haven’t had a full offseason to train and hone my skills. It’s been me rehabbing. I feel like I’ve gotten better from the rehab process, so now I can just focus on getting better at my skills instead of just having to focus on rehabbing. I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m thankful, I’m blessed.”

As much as Dean would like to return, it didn’t sound like he would be taking any discounts. There will be at least one team, and probably many others, that, if they're smart, will give him a three-year deal worth more than what the Eagles would be willing to spend.

“It’s a business, and nobody knows the business side of it better than me; I do,” he said. “Having to come back from injury and fight for a spot back two years in a row. Even when you perform and show you can play, you still got people guessing if you can still play.

“I know it’s a business, and it’s time for me to treat everything like a business. While I’ve been here, it’s been treated as a business, but it’s really time now going into free agency and having to do what’s best for you and your family, but I want to be an Eagle.”

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