Nakobe Dean

Eagles' starting linebacker questionable to return with foot injury

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FOXBORO, Mass. — Eagles starting middle linebacker Nakobe Dean left the Eagles’ season opener in the third quarter against the Patriots with a foot injury.

Dean is officially questionable to return, the Eagles announced.

Dean, 22, made the first start of his NFL career on Sunday. The 2022 third-round pick out of Georgia played a total of 34 defensive snaps last season.

Dean left the field and took the long walk into the locker room. Without him, the only other off-ball linebackers on the Eagles’ roster are Zach Cunningham and Christian Elliss.

For the most part, it has been Cunningham on the field with Dean but Elliss rotated in too. And on the final defensive series of the third quarter, Elliss was out there with Dean.

In this game, Dean had 7 tackles, including 4 solo tackles but was struggling a bit with missed tackles and some bad angles.

With just three off-ball linebackers on their 53-man roster, the Eagles don’t have much depth. But they do have veteran Nicholas Morrow and rookie Ben VanSumeren on the practice squad.

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