The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing to put their starting linebacker, Nakobe Dean, on injured reserve as he continues to deal with a Lisfranc sprain that has plagued him this season. Dean initially suffered the Lisfranc injury in Week 1 when the Eagles faced the New England Patriots. Following this injury, he was placed on injured reserve and missed four consecutive weeks. However, he was activated from injured reserve in Week 6 and played in the next four games. Unfortunately, Dean reaggravated the injury in Week 9 during a game against the Dallas Cowboys.
Throughout this season, Nakobe Dean has accumulated 30 tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and one quarterback hit.
Nakobe Dean played college football at the University of Georgia, where he made a name for himself. As a five-star recruit, he committed to play for the Georgia Bulldogs, choosing them over offers from Ole Miss and Alabama. Dean faced some injury challenges during his freshman season but managed to play every game, recording 25 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
In his sophomore season, Dean showed significant progress, tallying 71 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He was even named a finalist for the Butkus Award, an accolade recognizing the nation’s best linebacker.
The pinnacle of his college career came in his junior season when he helped lead the Bulldogs to a national title. During that year, he recorded an impressive 72 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, and two forced fumbles. His remarkable performance earned him a spot on the Coaches All-SEC 1st Team and the prestigious Butkus Award. Dean subsequently declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, Nakobe Dean faced some challenges. He had suffered a pectoral injury during Georgia’s Pro Day on March 16. Initially believed to be a pectoral sprain, there were speculations that it might require surgery. However, Dean chose to forgo surgery, which potentially led to him sliding in the draft.
Another factor that likely affected his draft position was his size. Standing at 5’11” and weighing 231 pounds, Dean was smaller than the average player at his position, who typically measures around 6’2″ and 240 pounds. Despite these obstacles, the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Nakobe Dean in the 3rd round, 83rd overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In his rookie season, Dean didn’t start but appeared in every game, primarily contributing on special teams with 13 tackles and one for a loss. However, in his second season, he was named the starter. Unfortunately, his season was marred by the recurring Lisfranc injury.
Filling in for Nakobe Dean during his absence is Nicholas Morrow. Morrow has been a solid replacement, tallying 31 tackles, eight for loss, three sacks, five quarterback hits, one safety, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. It seems that Philadelphia is in good hands with Morrow as their middle linebacker.
Eagles fans and the organization hope for a swift recovery for Nakobe Dean, and that he can return to the field in full form soon.