Eagles place Nakobe Dean on PUP list, rookie Jihaad Campbell healthy for start of training camp
Linebacker Nakobe Dean will be the only Philadelphia Eagles player to begin training camp with an injury designation, general manager Howie Roseman announced Wednesday.
Dean will begin training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. The 24-year-old tore his patellar tendon in his knee during the Eagles' wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers in January.
"He's doing a great job with his rehab. Can't wait to get him back," Roseman said. "Everybody else will be in on the field."
Jihaad Campbell, who became the first linebacker the Eagles drafted in the first round in more than 40 years, is healthy and participated in practice, Roseman said.
The Eagles traded up one spot in April's draft to select Campbell out of the University of Alabama with the 31st overall pick.
Campbell, a First-Team All-SEC linebacker with the Crimson Tide, didn't participate in the Eagles' offseason program while recovering from a torn labrum in his shoulder.
"You're going to see him out there today," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. "It will be fun to get him out there and start working with him. He looks like he had a great summer, and excited to have him out there working."
Sirianni said he's excited about the Birds' linebacker group, which features All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun. Dean had a breakout season in 2024, his third in the NFL, before suffering a knee injury in the playoffs.
With Dean on the PUP list, the Eagles will enter training camp figuring out who will get reps next to Baun.
Second-year pro Jeremiah Trotter Jr. likely will get an extended look if he can handle the off-ball linebacker position in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense.
"The linebacker position is Vic's specialty as well," Sirianni said, "and he'll have his hands all over that. Excited to see how these guys develop. That's our job. Howie gets us great players, and you can't be great without great players."
Campbell being healthy enough to begin camp practicing will factor into the decision.
"Jihaad looks good. Really, really good. Obviously, a physical specimen. Very athletic dude," Baun said. "He missed out on some reps in spring, but he's not far behind."
Last season, the Eagles finished as the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense. After some offseason turnover, the Birds are younger defensively, but Baun believes the team's defense is farther along than it was this time last year.
"I feel like we are far ahead of where we were at this time last year," Baun said. "Creating a new identity on defense. I like where we are at."
The Eagles reported to the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday for training camp. Wednesday was the first day of practice.
