There were not many Philadelphia Eagles who were surprised to see linebacker Nakobe Dean return to the team in 2026, since he would have been too expensive to bring back, but the emotions of losing him have been tougher than imagined.
Dean got his money in free agency as he signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders to be their new starter. He spoke to the Philly sports media for the first time, discussing his relationship with Eagles fans.
“I appreciate all the ups, all the downs, the cheers, the boos,” Dean said via NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro. “I appreciate every single thing. Me coming in and instilling myself into the community, how I was accepted with open arms. Philly is forever a home for me, for sure.”
Nakobe Dean shows his appreciation for Eagles fans
Last season with the Eagles, Dean racked up 55 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection in 10 games. He was a former third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, playing in 47 games, starting 27, and helping the team reach two Super Bowls, including one title.
He shared with Zangaro how he found out he was going to be signed with the Raiders at Nolan Smith’s golf tournament. Dean expected that to be the case, though, not to come back to Philly, but holds no bitterness for other former Eagles teammates who did get paid.
“They kind of expected it, to be honest,” Dean said. “A lot of people did. They happy. Not so much of me not being an Eagle anymore and not playing with them, but they happy that I was able to get a contract and I was able to get paid. There’s things that we always talk about.
“Just like I’m happy for [Jordan Davis]. Soon as I see [Davis’s extension], I texted him, I know his phone was blowing up. I’m pretty sure they happy. I was actually with Nolan the day I was able to get the deal done. Those are forever brothers of mine. [Jalen Carter’s] birthday coming up the first week in April. It’s things like that. It’s forever.”
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Dean was a great talent in Philly, as he just struggled to stay on the field and be healthy. Eagles fans hope things will be different in Vegas and have a long career that might see him return to Philly in the future.