Back Soon

The Philadelphia Eagles defense will soon be able to strengthen one of their weaker positions.

On Tuesday, the team officially opened the 21-day practice window for Nakobe Dean, who is currently on injured reserve.

Dean entered 2023 as the team’s top linebacker and was entrusted with calling the defense.

Soon after, his strong Week 1 ended early after seven tackles due to an ankle injury severe enough to put him on injured reserve to make him miss the next four games.

While Nic Morrow filled in admirably at the middle linebacker spot, particularly in the Week 4 win over the rival Commanders when he brought down the QB three times on a blitz, there was a reason why the Eagles entered the season entrusting Dean to wear the green dot while Morrow could not make the initial 53.

It remains to be seen how soon Dean will be able to return to practice, which will give a better indication of his Week 6 status.

If he is unable to make it back for the Jets game, his presence will certainly be needed the following week for a matchup against a historic Dolphins offense that is not afraid to use the middle of the field.

With Dean back soon and the Birds seemingly beginning to figure out the right combination in the secondary, defensive coordinator Sean Desai has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his unit going forward.

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.