The Eagles let Nakobe Dean walk in free agency, positioning 2025 first-rounder Jihaad Campbell to take over his starting linebacker job next to Zack Baun.
Campbell, however, is expected to miss most of the offseason after undergoing shoulder surgery, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently revealed.
“He is dealing with a shoulder injury,” Fangio said last week (via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “He’s gonna miss probably most of the offseason.”
That will leave Campbell with less time to get comfortable in Philadelphia’s 2026 defense, though much of the unit will be the same as last year. He appeared in every game as a rookie with 10 starts and a 63% snap share, so he should already be plenty familiar with Fangio’s scheme and the players in it.
The former Alabama star was a full-time starter at the beginning of the year with Dean still recovering from the previous season’s knee injury. Campbell slid to the bench when Dean returned, but another injury later in the season put the first-round pick back in a starting role for the last two games of the regular season.
Campbell finished his rookie year with 80 tackles (two for loss), two tackles for loss, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception. He also earned a 76.2 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which ranked 17th among all linebackers with at least 50 snaps (and led all rookies).
Though he was seen as a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher, Campbell only lined up along the defensive line 150 times as a rookie with just 57 pass rushing snaps. Fangio’s comments and the Eagles’ offseason moves indicate he will primarily remain in an off-ball linebacker role moving forward,
Glad he’s finally getting the shoulder fixed.
Campbell should absolutely stay at LB because he’s already one of the best in the league and very good in coverage.