Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will have some big decisions to make regarding the team's outgoing free agents after an 11-6 season and losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Wild Card game.
One of the biggest names to watch is Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean, who had an up-and-down season but, when he was on the field, was an impact player. While cleaning out his locker, Dean was asked about his expectations going into the offseason as a free agent.
"My expectations is I mean, God gonna handle it,' Dean said via SportsRadio 94 WIP's Eliot Shorr-Parks. "I'm excited."
When asked whether he would like to come back to Philadelphia, that was an easy answer for him.
“Of course. I think everyone knows I want to be in Philly.”
Nakobe Dean's future in Philadelphia seems a bit cloudy at the moment
Dean told the media that he did talk to Roseman, but didn't get any indication of what he was thinking about signing him. Roseman did point out to Dean how appreciative he was of what he brought to the Eagles' defense in 2025.
It was an interesting season for Dean as he missed the third third of the year with the knee injury he suffered in the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers in 2024. Once Dean returned to the defense, though, he was lights out.
In 10 games this season, Dean racked up 55 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio used Dean a lot on blitzes to pressure the quarterback, and the fourth-year linebacker was arguably the best on the team in doing that.
The biggest concern with bringing back Dean is that he has missed a lot of time due to injuries during his short NFL career. He only played in five games in 2023, missed the last three games of the postseason in 2024, and missed seven games in 2025.
If Eagles fans went by what Roseman typically does, he would steer clear of re-signing Dean and opt for a cheaper, younger option. Zack Baun was the rare exception to this, but Roseman isn't a linebacker-friendly general manager when it comes to bringing them back.
The Eagles have Jihaad Campbell, who had a strong rookie campaign, and could step into the starting lineup easily. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has been the top special teams player on the team, but has shown great potential to be in the rotation at linebacker.
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There are a lot of unknowns with Dean going into the offseason, but if this is the last time for him, he had a nice run in four years with the Birds.