The writing was on the wall for Nakobe Dean that 2025 would be his last season with the Philadelphia Eagles when his team, fresh off the best season of his career and a Super Bowl win, spent its 1st-round pick on another inside linebacker, Jihaad Campbell.
Dean, to his credit, played like someone unburdened of anyone else’s expectations when he returned from an injury the previous season for the final 10 games of the regular season and the playoffs, quickly displacing Campbell from the starting lineup to the point the rookie only saw 1 defensive snap in Philly’s NFC Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
In free agency, Dean cashed out with a 3-year, $36 million contract from the Las Vegas Raiders, where he’ll be at the heart of a new-look defense — although for some reason Dean hasn’t been a part of any OTAs or mandatory minicamp with his new team.
The mystery of Dean’s absence only deepened when 1st-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak couldn’t — or wouldn’t — give a clear answer on why he’s been missing.
“Nakobe’s been here every day in practice,” Kubiak told The Athletic’s Sam Warren on June 12. “But all injuries and things like that, I don’t want to talk about at this time of year. We just want to get all of our guys healthy to training camp. That’s really the most important thing.”
While Dean returned from a torn patellar tendon suffered in the NFC Wild Card Round following the 2024 season, he seemingly ended the season healthy — something that hasn’t always been the case as he’s missed 21 games over the last 3 seasons due to injuries.
Dean Did Eagles Favor On Way Out of Town
Dean at least did his old team a solid on the way out of town — most notably by spurning an offer from the Dallas Cowboys, who were desperate to add talent at inside linebacker.
“Just talked with someone close to the situation and apparently Dallas was actually very competitive in the Nakobe Dean market,” NFL reporter Jane Slater wrote on her official X account in March. “He was one of their 5 Zooms allowed. I’m told their offer was similar to the Raiders, but ultimately, he went with his gut feeling, and was told he could have seen himself in both places, and it was a ’51/49′ margin, but the Raiders won this one. At least it tells you Dallas is trying.”
Dean’s Fate With Eagles Sealed With Injuries
In 2023, a pectoral injury cost Dean 12 games. After a breakout season in 2024 in which he had 128 tackles, Dean tore his patellar tendon in Philadelphia’s playoff opener against the Green Bay Packers and was sidelined as the Eagles rolled to a Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. That injury also cost him the first 7 games of the 2025 regular season before he came back and took Campbell’s starting spot.
ESPN called Dean the “Most Likely” to leave the Eagles before the start of free agency on March 9.
From ESPN: “(Dean) is a difference-maker when healthy and is a respected leader, but Dean could command $10 million or more per season, and that is probably too costly because of their other talented linebackers. With Zack Baun and last year’s first-round pick Jihaad Campbell set for primary roles, Dean will likely have to realize his value elsewhere.”
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