Former Super Bowl champion linebacker Nakobe Dean could be on the trade block this upcoming 2025 season as he enters the final year of his contract. According to reports, one source suggests the Philadelphia Eagles could move on from the linebacker as the team is bringing in new weapons and extending athletes like fellow Zack Baun after putting on an enormous 2024 campaign. This means there might not be a clear future for Dean after tearing his patellar tendon in the postseason this year, so he might not be worth the risk to extend him for even a one-year deal.
Originally selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the former Georgia product became one of the worst linebackers coming out of that year. Dean hasn’t been able to stay healthy for the majority of seasons in his NFL tenure, so it’s hard to imagine that any team could trade for him unless a team is desperate for a pass rusher. After trading with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 draft to snag linebacker Jihaad Campbell, it’s clear who will be taking Dean’s spot for the immediate future. There’s no realistic way that the Eagles will get Dean back to 100% when the 2025 regular season begins, so it shouldn’t be surprising if they put him on the trade block to try to fetch some draft capital.
The Eagles won’t get the best deal, but these three teams could make an offer before the season starts.
Breaking: Former Super Bowl Champion Nakobe Dean On Trade Block
Next Possible Teams
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers have been reluctant to address the pass-rushing unit, even though they have all of the cap space in the league. After releasing Joey Bosa, there hasn’t been a capable replacement that seems promising. Instead, the Chargers are rolling the dice on Da’Shawn Hand to disrupt the trenches, but they would be better off re-signing Poona Ford, which they’ve failed to do. Even though Teair Tart is returning, there’s no guarantee he will perform the same since Ford isn’t in the picture anymore.
This pretty much sums up head coach Jim Harbaugh wanting to win football games in the trenches. If they want to stick to his philosophy, they have to get more experience in their defensive unit. Even with Khalil Mack coming back, the team needs more men to make opposing offenses a living hell. Nakobe Dean might have his issues, but he’s better than what the Chargers have.
Baltimore Ravens
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens lost a promising pass rusher in Malik Harrison to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This spells bad news even for Trenton Simpson, who’s yet to make an impact on this roster. The Ravens’ signing of Yannick Ngakoue last year was proof that they need help on their defense. They had one of the worst after losing Jadeveon Clowney last offseason.
Perhaps, they could take a shot on Dean to see how he could perform on this roster. The Ravens won’t lose anything since the linebacker is still on a cheap deal.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have done their homework to get some capable defenders on the defensive side of the ball. Tershawn Wharton and Derrick Brown will be two trench guys who can make a lot of noise on the field. However, Clowney is aging, and Josey Jewell has been a journeyman on this defense, so Dean is the obvious upgrade in this situation despite his injuries.
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