It was an ugly affair between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles during Wildcard Weekend yesterday, not only because of the scoreboard, but also due to the slew of injuries which plagued both teams.
The Packers lost multiple players to a variety of injuries throughout the contest, most notably along their offensive line and wide receiver group. The extent of their injuries aren’t likely to be known until they return home and undergo additional testing at the Packers facility.
However, they at least now have an entire offseason to get healthy in preparation for the 2025 NFL campaign. Philadelphia on the other hand awaits the winner of the Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams contest on Monday night, and will face them in the divisional round of the playoffs Sunday January 19th at 3pm ET.
And according to reports, it looks like they’ll need to do so without at least one key contributor on defence in linebacker Nakobe Dean.
Dean is believed to have suffered a serious knee injury in the second quarter of the wildcard game as he attempted to tackle TE Tucker Kraft. The 24 year old appeared to be in visible discomfort on the field, and had to be subsequently assisted to the medical tent. A few moments later, Dean was carted to the locker room and would not return.
Per multiple sources, Dean is unlikely to return at any point in the playoffs, even if Philadelphia were to advance as far as the Super Bowl.
The former Georgia Bulldog was having the kind of impact on defence that GM Howie Roseman envisioned when he selected him 83rd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft after battling multiple injuries to begin his career. Dean has started all 15 games in which he’s appeared for Philadelphia this season, recording 1 INT, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 sacks, and 128 total tackles. He’s also been the defensive play caller for Vic Fangio’s group this season, a responsibility that will now fall to Zack Baun moving forward.
“He’s one of the true leaders on this defence,” said teammate Darius Slay. “I know I got the ‘C’ on my chest but if there is someone I want to give my [captaincy] to, it’s him…It’s hurtful to see him go down like that because he is having an amazing year, playing outstanding, and I’m praying for him for a speedy recovery.”
Oren Burks replaced Dean in the Eagles lineup after he exited the contest Sunday. Burks made an immediate impact on the game as he laid a massive hit on the Packers kick returner to jar loose the ball on the very first play of the game. While the Eagles defence is a deep group, losing an impact player, and solid locker room presence like Dean will nevertheless be a tough hurdle to overcome for Philadelphia.
In all likelihood, the suspected torn patellar tendon injury will also affect Dean’s availability for Philadelphia’s 2025 training camp, and potentially even the start of the regular season later this year.
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