“Best To Ever Do It”

Having just had surgery in Los Angeles days leading up to the Eagles’ NFC Championship clash against the Washington Commanders to repair a torn patellar tendon, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean remained on the west coast, unable to be with teammates and partake in the postgame celebration.

But amid the on-field celebration, there was a moment captured that encapsulates the prevailing connection piece enforced by head coach Nick Sirianni.

Sirianni, phone in hand, emphatically screamed into his screen, a rallying cry of sorts. On the other end of the FaceTime was Dean, the heartbeat and tone-setter of the league’s top defense, smiling uncontrollably.

The Eagles were now a game away from immortality and had just punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIX.

“He told me he was gonna do it,” Dean said. “He talked to me earlier in the week, and said, ‘When we win, I’m gonna FaceTime you.’ So, I was expecting that call.”

GETTY IMAGES: LB Nakobe Dean is in attack mode for his offseason rehab.

Dean, who was forced to watch the 28-22 squeaker in the snow against the Rams in the divisional round from the coaches lounge alongside fellow linebacker Ben VanSumeren, says he spoke to everyone that night, as a phone was being passed around the locker room.

For Sirianni to initiate and follow through on his intention, in that moment, spoke to something greater. It perhaps best illustrated the Eagles’ compelling culture that typically manifests in being there and uplifting one another.

Dean explained what made Sirianni’s adamance for togetherness so effective.

“Just the way he pushes connections,” he said. “And when I think about, you almost have to give ups to Howie [Roseman], too, because you see –  of course, Howie wants to draft the best guys – but you see he starts drafting for relationships and connections with the Alabama guys and the Georgia guys.

“So, I feel like that has made it easier for us to connect. And now that you’ve got guys like me and J.C. [Jalen Carter], and Nolan making plays, now we’ve got more voice on the team, like, for everybody to tie in with the connection piece. And it all just kind of works.”

Dean, along with injured offensive lineman Jack Driscoll (ankle), made it to New Orleans early in the week and were able to observe the final practice leading up to Super Bowl LIX. Driscoll, of course, moved around on a Roll-A-Bout scooter.

But in a protective measure – as Dean at the time still required the assistance of crutches – the team was reluctant to let him view the big game from the sideline.

“They didn’t want noboby to get knocked to the sideline and knock me over,” he said.

If you watched the sideline closely, however, a steadfast Dean got his way. The 24-year-old linebacker was stationed behind the team bench, relegated to a safe corner designated by the team.

“I was able to convince them,” he said. “I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to do it and I was gonna have to just sneak out there – because I was gonna be on the sideline –  but for them to be able to do that for me, I was happy.”

Dean, after careful thought, recalled his personal favorite moment during the game, which highlighted the efficiency of the defense to which he, not long ago, relayed the plays.

The moment of clarity occurred when the Jumbotron in the Caesars Superdome flashed an Eagles pressure rate that read 58.64 with a blitz rate of zero, the results amounting to six sacks, showcasing the dominance of the front four and once again reminding the world of the schematic wizardry that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio unveiled in what was perhaps the finest game ever from an assistant in the Super Bowl.

Dominance aside, for Dean, the performance spoke to Fangio’s impact and legacy.

“One thing I heard before I got to the league is older coaches can’t switch up, they can’t change their ways,” he said “And to see him just be able to kind of mold his game to a newer generation and mold his game to his players, it just speaks volumes.

“Vic is one of the best to ever do it. Just look at his line of work. For us to get him the Super Bowl, it’s like icing on the cake for him.”

As for Dean, there’s only one way he’s approaching an arduous rehab process – by attacking it.

The Horn Lake, Miss. native caught a flight Friday evening following the Eagles’ victory parade to what he declared to be an undisclosed location.

He shed the crutches last week and said he’s “back to moving around a little bit better.” And come Monday, Dean said, he’ll be back “hitting the ground running.”

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