While the Philadelphia Eagles' first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens did not go according to plan, there were still plenty of standout performances on Philly's side.
Defensively, the Eagles still played well, allowing just 10 points in the first three quarters of the game. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that the floodgates opened, and there was no hope for a comeback.
One player on that side of the ball stood out for the Eagles, though, as a standout player of the game. There's definitely going to be a lot more noise about Jeremiah Trotter Jr. entering the Eagles' second week of preseason action.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. sure looks like a starter on the Eagles' defense
Trotter had a great night against the Ravens, being one of the leading tacklers on the team and making an impact on the team. He finished with five tackles, three pressures, two run stops, and one sack.
Trotter stood out most in pressuring the quarterback. He showed flashes of what made Nakobe Dean great on the Eagles, being sent on multiple linebacker blitzes throughout games last year.
That was the kind of performance that will have fans asking questions about the Eagles' starting lineup on defense. Trotter might be more in the conversation to start at inside linebacker than expected.
Right now, Zack Baun is a lock to start at linebacker no matter what. Jihaad Campbell should be a lock too, but there's a feeling that Trotter is going to challenge him a bit for that starting job.
Campbell was, interestingly enough, the only starter who played in the Ravens game but had limited reps. Sirianni explained that he wanted to give him some extra reps.
“We played Jihaad, you know, Jihaad keeps getting better with reps," Sirianni said. "And Jihaad didn’t have as many reps last year. And so we thought that was good for him to play. You know, and so again, that’s just what I decided to do on this particular one, what I felt was best for the team.”
Head Coach Nick Sirianni and Eagles players speak with the media. #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/BgxdsfQp1R
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It felt like Campbell got plenty of reps when he started the first month and a half of the 2025 season with Dean out with an injury. So why would they feel he needed more reps?
Campbell should still end up being the Day 1 starter, but Trotter is making a push for it. Trotter had a good season last year on special teams and led the Eagles in tackles in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders with the backups in the game.
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The Ravens game tape showed enough to prove Trotter deserves playing time. Watch for Trotter the rest of training camp and preseason to challenge Campbell for that starting job.
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