That preseason opener was not the kind of way the Philadelphia Eagles wanted to kick off the 2026 season.
Philly fell to the Baltimore Ravens 24-7 after allowing 14 fourth-quarter points. The offense only put up 159 yards as a group, with their touchdown coming on the last drive of the game.
One interesting choice the Eagles made, though, was to rest most of the starters. Only one ended up playing in the game: linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni Explains Jihaad Campbell Decision
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 04: Jihaad Campbell #30 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on September 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
After the loss, Sirianni spoke with the media and discussed decisions about playing certain players. He explained why Campbell was on the field.
“We played Jihaad, you know, Jihaad keeps getting better with reps. And Jihaad didn’t have as many reps last year. And so we thought that was good for him to play. You know, and so again, that’s just what I decided to do on this particular one, what I felt was best for the team.”
Campbell wasn’t heavily involved on defense, as he played in a few drives in the first half. He finished the game with 3 tackles, 1 of them solo.
Last year, in his rookie season, Campbell started the first month for Nakobe Dean but finished as a rotational player. Campbell racked up 80 tackles, 3 pass deflections, 2 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hit, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.
Jihaad Campbell is Getting Some Extra Reps for Eagles in Preseason
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 7: Jihaad Campbell #30 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on prior to the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field on August 7, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Entering training camp, Campbell was expected to be the full-time replacement for Dean in the starting lineup. As practices have completed, some think that Jeremiah Trotter Jr. might be in the conversation to start ahead of Campbell. They are fighting to join Zack Baun in the starting lineup.
Campbell is a former first round pick of the Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft. The likelihood of the Eagles picking Trotter over Campbell seems very unlikely.
Philly likes Campbell because of the versatility he brings to the table for the Eagles. He is able to drop back into coverage with consistency, stop the run, and even pass-rush off the edge.
The Eagles have been grooming Campbell to be a full-time starter since last year. When he did start early in the 2025 season, he looked solid and grew into a good linebacker in the league.
It’ll be interesting to see if Sirianni and company want Campbell to play in any of the final two preseason games. If they feel he needs the reps, he might get in more often. After how he looked in the Ravens preseason game, though, it does seem as though Campbell looks good enough to be ready for Week 1 against the Washington Commanders.
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