Eagles' Nakobe Dean Reportedly Set to Make 2025 NFL Season Debut After Knee Injury

The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly will get a boost on defense for their matchup against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.

CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz reported that Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is expected to make his 2025 season debut in Thursday night's game after his recovery from a knee injury suffered in last season's playoffs.

Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee while making a tackle in the Eagles' win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round in January. He was carted off the field, and he missed the rest of the postseason as Philadelphia went on to win Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The injury was a sour way to end what was an exceptional 2024 campaign for Dean. He appeared in 15 games and ranked second on the team with 128 total tackles while also producing three sacks, four passes defended, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

A third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Dean's career got off to a rocky start. He played in all 17 games as a rookie but made minimal impact while being used mostly in a special teams role. His sophomore campaign was cut short after just five games due to a foot injury. He finally blossomed into the player he was expected to be in 2024, but his knee injury was yet another setback.

Still, the Eagles will surely welcome him back to the lineup amid their struggles on defense. After ranking first in the NFL last year with 278.4 yards allowed per game, Philadelphia ranks toward the bottom half of the league this year with 338.2 yards allowed per game.

Zenitz noted that Dean's workload is "expected to be limited at first," but will likely "progressively increase throughout the year." Eagles fans will surely be excited to watch him return to his usual form as he works his way back into the fold.