Eagles getting key reinforcement to defense just in time for Thursday Night Football

Giants fans will hate this new update.

Kelsey Kramer — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Oct 8, 2025 12:35 PM EDT

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) celebrates with teammates and fans after an interception late in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. — Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles are getting a key reinforcement back just in time for their Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants.

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Eagles starting linebacker Nakobe Dean is expected to make his 2025 NFL season debut after recovering from a knee injury suffered in last season’s playoffs.

#Eagles standout linebacker Nakobe Dean is expected to make his season debut tomorrow vs. the Giants, sources tell @CBSSports.

Has been working back from a knee injury from last year. Workload expected to be limited at first but set to progressively increase throughout the year. pic.twitter.com/IqKWu1X7sz
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 8, 2025

Zenitz noted that while Dean will return to the lineup, he won’t play his full snap count.

Nakobe Dean Projected His Week 5 Return

Dean had already projected that he would make his return to the football field in Week 5.

“See ya’ll in Week 5,” Dean wrote with a picture of him flexing in his Philly uniform on his Instagram story at the start of the season.

He even went so far as to circle Oct. 1 on his calendar, which turned out to be the day he officially returned to practice for the first time in 255 days.

“It’s been on the calendar,” Dean said with a smile at his locker following his first practice back from the injury. “I knew that Wednesday of this week I was going to practice. As soon as I found out that they were going to put me on PUP, I knew that this was the day I would practice.”

Dean added that he went to bed earlier to ensure his body was well-rested.

During last year’s playoff win over the Green Bay Packers, Dean went down with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, which cut his season short and required surgery.

It marked Dean’s second major lower-body injury. Despite the setback from the practice field, Dean grinded through rehab all offseason. He even picked up ballet to help with his flexibility and movement.

Dean wrapped up the 2024 regular season with 128 tackles (80 solo), three sacks, nine tackles for loss, six QB hits, and a pick through 15 games. He was a key piece of the NFL’s top defense and played a major role in helping the Eagles take down the Kansas City Chiefs in a historic 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win.