Nakobe Dean Is Eagles' Toughest Valuation Heading To Free Agency

Set to enter his fifth season, Nakobe Dean is a leader on and off the field with a troubling injury history.

Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) reacts against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - NFL market valuations are never easy to the point even league general managers can be caught off guard by how much a player will generate on the open market.

The Eagles have a number of tough valuations to consider when it comes to their own talent that is scheduled to hit free agency next month, most notably edge defender Jaelan Phillips, safety Reed Blankenship, and linebacker Nakobe Dean.

Of the three, Dean might be the most difficult to gauge.

A physical and instinctive player who happens to be a natural leader and perhaps the best second-level blitzer in football last season, it's safe to say Dean will not be hitting a financial home run because of his injury history.

The Heir Apparent

The Eagles were concerned enough about Dean rebounding from a torn patellar tendon in January of 2024 that they drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

And Campbell hit the ground running as one of the leaders in the clubhouse over the first seven weeks of the season for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

However, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio valued Dean so much that when the Georgia product proved he was healthy, the starting job opposite Zack Baun was there waiting for him despite the way Campbell was playing.

Dean rewarded that belief by bringing a presence to the defense that was tangible.

At 25 with no significant injury history, Dean would be cashing in, but the patellar tendon and a difficult Lisfranc injury in 2023 will likely demand caution.

The smart money is that Dean will find a new home elsewhere simply because the Eagles won’t want to block the talented Campbell’s ascent to the starting lineup for another year.

If the medical concerns drive down Dean’s market, however, it will be tough for GM Howie Roseman to allow a difference-maker on and off the field to leave the Jefferson Health Training Center.

This feels a little like the Isaiah Rodgers situation last season where the Eagles will walk away if Dean gets multiple years and starter’s money.

However, a one-year, prove-it deal should put Dean back into the Eagles’ orbit.

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