Report: Dean Back To IR

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean, who avoided a season-ending foot surgery earlier in the season, might not be as fortunate with his most recent foot injury.

Dean will reportedly be headed to Injured Reserve for the second time this season, per an NFL Media report, this time suffering a Lis franc foot sprain in Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Cowboys that will force the second-year pro to see a specialist.

#Eagles LB Nakobe Dean has been diagnosed with a Lisfranc sprain, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Dean, who called the defensive signals to start this season, will see a foot specialist to determine a course of action but he’s expected to be placed on IR. pic.twitter.com/SE2sEykwLW

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 8, 2023

The Eagles, who improved to an NFL-best 8-1, are bye this week. They won’t have to place Dean on IR until they’re ready to make a corresponding move.

Any player who goes on Injured Reserve must miss four games – not weeks – so Dean wouldn’t be eligible to play until Dec. 17 against Seattle whether goes on IR this week or next, unless Dean needs surgery that would keep him out longer or potentially end his second season.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles LB Nakobe Dean will be out for the second time this season with a foot injury.

The Eagles were relieved earlier this year when Dean’s foot injury in the season opener didn’t require surgery.

In his place, Nic Morrow was signed off the practice squad and played well enough to stay in the linebacker rotation for the past four weeks. Morrow and starter Zach Cunningham will continue to be the team’s starting off-ball linebackers while Dean is out.

It’s been a difficult season for Dean, last year’s third-round pick from Georgia who some draft analysts had pegged as a first-rounder but was still available in the third round, when the Eagles picked him 83rd overall.

Some NFL personnel executives told Inside The Birds after the 2022 NFL Draft that they had concerns about Dean’s size, durability and athleticism despite the linebacker’s exceptional college resume and renowned football intelligence and leadership.

Dean didn’t run the 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process and had nursed a pectoral injury. This summer, an ankle injury kept Dean out of training camp for a stint.

At Georgia, Dean played behind one of the best defensive lines in the sport’s history and was commonly used in the pass rush as opposed to the pass coverage he’s been asked to carry out in the Eagles’ defense.

Dean spent most of his rookie season sitting behind T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White in coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s system, but new Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai hasn’t run the exact same scheme Gannon ran in his two years presiding over the team’s defense.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.