At linebacker, the Philadelphia Eagles appear to be in good shape entering the 2026 season. A lot better than some might have thought.
This offseason, the Eagles lost Nakobe Dean, which was a crushing blow to the linebacker room. It also opened new opportunities for Jihaad Campbell to move into the starting lineup, with Zack Baun and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in the rotation.
There is another linebacker that everyone seems to be forgetting who can have an impact on the Eagles in 2026. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio made sure his name was at the top of everyone's mind.
Vic Fangio points out Chance Campbell as a sleeper for Eagles in 2026
Fangio spoke with the media before their practice when he was asked about Chance Campbell and his thoughts on him. The Eagles' defensive coordinator raved about Campbell.
"Yeah, don't sleep on Chance now, you guys, when you make your list out there. We like Chance. Chance is a good football player, you know, had some injuries earlier in his career that, you know, set him back. But since the day we picked him up last year, he's shown that he's a football player, and we like him. You know, interesting, last year we picked him up the last week of the preseason game. And I don't remember the exact date. It was just a few days before the game. And he didn't need that acclimation period."
Campbell was the Tennessee Titans' sixth-round pick in 2022 but did not play until the 2023 campaign after being placed on IR and missing all of 2022. In four games that season, he racked up three tackles.
Since then, he tore his ACL in 2024 and missed that whole season again after being placed on IR. Campbell signed with the Eagles last year and spent the whole season on the practice squad.
Entering 2026, Campbell has a chance to be a legitimate No. 4 or No. 5 linebacker on the roster. He will have to compete with Smael Mondon Jr. for playing time and potentially that final roster spot if they only carry four inside linebackers.
There have been early indications at training camp that Campbell is playing well and has a real shot of making the team. Most of the latest 53-man roster predictions have Campbell making the cut.
Read more: Lane Johnson's reason for mysterious absence from Eagles camp is revealed
Campbell has his coach's attention for the moment, which is always a positive to be on Fangio's good side. Eagles fans will have to see how that translates in games when the preseason starts in less than two weeks.
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