Nakobe Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon during the Eagles’ wild-card win against the Packers on Sunday. This injury will require a long rehab, likely keeping him sidelined until the 2025 season, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport were the first to report this.
Dean got injured while tackling Packers tight end Tucker Kraft for a three-yard loss in the second quarter of the Eagles’ 22-10 win at Lincoln Financial Field. He was seen leaving the locker room on crutches, with a brace on his injured left knee.
Dean had an outstanding breakout season, forming a solid linebacker duo with first-team All-Pro Zack Baun. The pair was one of the best linebacker tandems in the Eagles’ recent history.
Lane Johnson commented, “It’s a tremendous loss. He’s a guy that came in and battled. Last year was really a learning year for him, and I felt like he took full advantage of it. He really became a key leader on the defense. Him and Zack are best friends off the field, and they fuel each other and compete with each other. But as a teammate, he’s one of the best teammates we have. It’s going to be hard to replace Nakobe.”
Dean, who was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of 2022, spent most of his rookie season as a backup and special teams player. He missed a large part of last season due to a foot injury that needed offseason surgery.
In the regular season, Dean posted three sacks, a game-clinching interception, 128 tackles, nine tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four pass defenses, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Before the injury on Sunday, he had two tackles for loss in just 23 snaps.
Jalen Hurts expressed his sadness, saying, “You hate that. He’s a pivotal piece to our defense and he’ll be missed. I’m praying for a speedy recovery.”
Veteran Oren Burks stepped in for Dean after the injury and is expected to be the starter in the upcoming conference semifinal round. Burks, a former third-round pick of the Packers in 2018, has started 17 games in his career. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the other backup linebacker.
Burks commented, “Playing for him out there. He’s been our leader all year, just commanding accountability from the top down. Going to miss him.”
The injury hit everyone hard, but it was especially tough on Nolan Smith, Dean’s roommate at Georgia and one of his closest friends. Smith opened up about how difficult the situation was for him.
“It hurt my heart,” Smith said. “Then I was the first one there, and I tried to help him up and he said (shakes head). I just immediately closed my eyes and prayed. Because to a lot of people, man, it’s a game.
This is a game to them. ‘Oh, it’s just football, it’s just football.’ Man, this is our livelihood. I know me and him leave it out there on the field. We were just talking about it. It’s another time that we’re in the playoffs together.
“And it almost made me tear up before the game because we were roommates in college. I helped recruit him and tried to get him to come to Georgia with me. Two country boys and just trying to make a way. It just hurt my heart, man. I know I’m going on and on about this, but, man, he worked so hard and his determination.
He’s just one of those guys that I just felt like I can lean on and ask for anything, and he’d give me the clothes off his back or the food off his plate.”
