Eagles linebacker gets strong endorsement from former starter he replaced

The Eagles made their decision at linebacker last offseason. Now, the guy they moved on from is backing it up publicly.

With Nakobe Dean out in Las Vegas after signing a three-year deal with the Raiders, the Eagles are fully turning the keys over to Jihaad Campbell next to Zack Baun. And if there were any questions about how Dean felt about being replaced, he just answered them.

Spoiler: No bitterness, just respect.

Eagles linebacker room gets vote of confidence

Nakobe Dean on Jihaad Campbell:

"Got the size, ability to do everything from the LB position. Covering, blitzing, stopping the run. He’s a 3-down LB. He can do it all. He’s going to be great for sure, and he’s got a crazy work ethic"

Dean is a class act 💚#Eagles (Via NBC) pic.twitter.com/APr4mJrqI2

— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) March 22, 2026

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Dean didn’t take the usual route of throwing subtle shots or giving a generic answer. He went out of his way to gas up Campbell and what he can become in this defense.

“Jihaad can be great,” Dean said. “You’re talking about somebody who was probably on track to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.”

That’s not nothing. That’s coming from a guy who was literally starting over him at one point last season.

Dean kept going, making it clear he thinks Campbell hasn’t even scratched the surface yet:

“I feel like now that he’ll have that role to be hisself and to play the ball that he needs to play, the sky is the limit for him.”

That’s about as strong of an endorsement as you’ll hear from someone who just got pushed out of a job.

Eagles are officially all-in on Jihaad Campbell

The Eagles didn’t just stumble into this situation. They drafted Campbell in the first round, extended Baun, and made it pretty obvious where things were headed.

Even last season told the story. Vic Fangio trusted Dean enough to plug him back into the lineup mid-year, mostly because of his experience and blitz ability. But the long-term plan never changed.

Now it’s Campbell’s defense at linebacker.

He flashed as a rookie with 80 tackles, a pick, and a forced fumble, especially in coverage. The talent is there. The question has always been consistency.

That’s what this season is about.

Eagles need production, not flashes

Dean saying “the sky is the limit” sounds great, but the Eagles don’t need potential anymore. They need Campbell to turn those flashes into steady, every-week production.

Because if he does, this defense levels up in a real way.

If he doesn’t, we’re right back having the same conversations about linebacker next offseason.

Either way, the Eagles made their bet. And the guy they moved on from just co-signed it.