Know Your Role?

PHILADELPHIA – Routinely radiant positive energy and an optimistic view are defining characteristics that Nakobe Dean developed toward the end of his high school years. A self-proclaimed “optimistic realist,” the fourth-year linebacker is conditioned to always find a silver lining, refusing to dwell or sulk when faced with adversity.

It’s a mindset that helped Dean power through the extensive recovery process that followed a gruesome patellar tendon injury sustained Jan. 13, when the Eagles faced the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round. Dean devoted nearly nine months to his rehab, attacking the setback with an unflinching resolve while seemingly embracing his hardship.

Dean’s constructive mindset fueled his path toward full strength, manifesting in the opening of his 21-day practice window. The 24-year-old on Wednesday was spotted participating in team stretches with a notable bounce in his step, almost as if no time had passed.

“Being negative ain’t gonna get you nowhere,” Dean said Wednesday, the day he was activated into the 21-day practice window from Injured Reserve. “I’m a positive person always, anyway. No matter what the situation is, I wanna breed positivity. I actually hate negativity in any kind of way. But just being positive … being negative in any type of way is not gonna get you nowhere, ’cause what’s gonna happen is gonna happen. So, you control what you control.”

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles LB Nakobe Dean is in the 21-day practice window.

Dean knew his equivalent of the first day of school was coming and was sure to get to sleep 30 minutes earlier than usual, to ensure his body felt its best for practice.

He had Oct. 1 circled on his calendar before the Eagles’ initial 53-man roster had even been established. Even standing from afar, it was impossible not to spot Dean’s wide grin. His hard work had been validated; Dean was officially back.

“It felt great,” he said. “It felt great to get out there with the guys and actually play some football.”

Dean, who said he’d been cleared for a “good bit right now,” is always around, be it on the practice field or in the locker room. If you were out early enough before any training camp practice this summer, you probably saw Dean, working with a trainer on a side field, honing in on mobility or pulling a sled with a harness around his waist.

He refused to bask in despair or allow doubt to creep in. He faced his situation head-on, his steadfast attitude and work ethic prominent factors in recovery.

Positioning himself to return without an acclimation period, Dean was always around the team, involved in pretty much everything other than practice and games.

Though deprived of physical reps during his recovery, Dean instead logged mental reps every practice and could be seen observing intently on any given day. An extension of the coaching staff both on and off the field, Dean’s communication with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio during his inactivity was exclusive to opponent and scheme specifics.

Complicating matters, though, is that Dean joins a crowded house at his position, now headed by Zack Baun and rookie Jihaad Campbell. Even still, there should surely be a role for a 15-game starter from last season, who compiled 128 tackles, three sacks and an interception and donned the green dot, right?

Well, Fangio, who doesn’t traditionally rotate linebackers, on Tuesday answered “not right now” regarding the prospects of deploying Campbell more off the edge. While there’s plenty of time to sort that all out, that isn’t even a concern that crosses Dean’s mind.

“I control what I control,” he said. “I know I can play, I know we can go out there and ball. So, I control what I control. Continue to ball, continue to get better mentally, physically, emotionally, throughout the whole thing, no matter what. Just continue to get better.”

Positive energy and optimism aside, Dean brings more than meets the eye to a defense on the ascent. His intangibles, such as his leadership qualities, assertiveness and high-level football intelligence complement his on-field tenacity and vigor.

The Georgia product last season served as the heartbeat of the league’s top defense. How he fits into the 2025 equation on defense remains unclear, but what can’t be overstated is that a unit on the upswing just got measurably better.

“I feel like we’ve been playing well overall, as a whole defense,” he said. “We’ve been playing decently. And gotta just continue to just try to get better, take it one day at a time. Our goal is to be 1-0 at the end of every day. We continue to do that, we’ll continue to get better throughout the season.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com