Role For Jihaad Campbell Solidified by Eagles (And Explanation of New Number)

PHILADELPHIA – The jersey number is new, but it’s not the only new thing for Jihaad Campbell. The Eagles linebacker is wearing No. 11, which was worn by that … well, you know, that “other guy,” but he’s also going to work at strictly one position. Outside linebacker or edge rusher chores are over, more or less. He is strictly an inside linebacker.

First, the number. The Eagles wasted little time recycling the No. 11 after the previous wearer of that number, you know who, was traded to the New England Patriots.

“We’re going to leave the A.J. Brown thing out of it,” said Campbell following Thursday’s Day 2 of training camp. “There’s nothing towards him at all. I wore it in high school, college and I just wanted to wear it in the NFL.”

Second, his position.

“He may end up (outside) on occasion, but as a full-time player, yes (he is done playing on the outside),” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Campbell got yo-yoed between the inside and outside last season. He started on the inside as Nakobe Dean continued rehabbing from his latest injury. When Dean returned, Campbell was shifted to the outside and never seemed to be comfortable. Teams ran right at him, and he had trouble setting the edge. His pass rush technique was very much a work-in-progress. Eventually, he was moved to a full-time special team player.

Still, he played all 18 games for the Eagles, with 63 percent of the defensive snaps and 51 percent of the special team snaps. He started the first eight games on defense then the last two and finished with 80 tackles, 44 solo, two tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

“It was valuable,” said Fangio about the rookie’s experience. “Some of it was [not] valuable too. If you remember, there was a few weeks there where we had to play him at outside linebacker because we ran out of guys. That set him back a little bit as an ILB.”

Campbell didn’t disagree with that assessment.

“Whatever Vic says, he’s the big dog,” he said. “I believe in Vic, coach Fangio; I believe in his process and his understanding of how he actually wants things to look for his defense. We put all trust in him, and we just go out there and execute.”

Eagles Jihaad Campbell answers questions after Day 2 of training camp on July 30, 2026. | Ed Kracz/Eagls on SI

Full Understanding Of Defense

All systems are go for Campbell now to show that he can be the starting inside linebacker next to Zack Baun.

“I feel like, just based on in the meeting rooms, he has a full understanding of the defense,” said Baun. “He can play all the linebacker positions, if you need him to, and he's versatile, he's continuing to work on his body. He looks a lot bigger going into this training camp, so that's cool to see. I'm just glad he's working hard and knows he's still got some room for improvement.”

Getting stronger was a focus of Campbell’s in the offseason, as was relaxing from a long year of football – going straight from college to the combine to OTAs to training camp.

There's a third new thing. His shoulder is healthy again after left shoulder surgery on a torn labrum after the NFL Scouting Combine. He had what he called “a little fix-up thing” on the same shoulder after the season ended, which kept him sidelined through spring’s OTAs.

The shoulder issues were why he dropped to the end of the first round, allowing the Eagles to jump up one spot to grab him with the 31st overall pick.

“So far so good,” he said. “Right now, the biggest thing is just trying to stay healthy, trying to be mind-free and go into this year with a little bit of experience from last year with our group, with our whole defense, our whole team.”

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