We’re a long way from 2026 free agency. Philadelphia Eagles fans are hoping to celebrate back-to-back Super Bowl titles well before we get there.
But the Eagles are quietly holding one of the NFL’s top pending free agents, and his role appears to be rising as we hit the second half of the 2025 season.
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is officially back. Slowed at the start of the year by surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, his instincts and physicality were impossible to ignore — especially against the run—in Philly’s Week 8 win over the New York Giants.
After adding some reinforcements at cornerback and edge defender before the trade deadline, the Eagles are left with few problem areas on the roster.
They do have one problem, and it’s a good one — juggling Dean’s reps at middle linebacker with versatile first-round rookie Jihaad Campbell.
Philadelphia Eagles LB Nakobe Dean could be auditioning for a massive payday over the second half of 2025
Dean has been an easy fan favorite throughout his Eagles tenure. He’s battled back from multiple major injuries now, and just continues to get better and prove his worth on the field.
The big question entering Week 10 and beyond is crystal clear. Is Dean now auditioning for a lucrative dip into the 2026 free agency pool? Or is he poised to land Howie Roseman’s next big contract extension?
At this point, it’s hard to see the latter coming to fruition. Dean’s injury history can’t be ignored, and it necessitated the team trading up for Campbell in the first round of the 2025 draft; the rookie has been a regular contributor in Vic Fangio’s defense from Day 1, flashing some serious instincts and skills in pass coverage, especially.
That makes Dean’s next contract a tough sell for Philly’s front office. Similar to guys like Josh Sweat and Milton Williams last year, it’s very possible that Dean plays his way out of Philly as one of the top free agents on the market.
In fact, Kris Knox of Bleacher Report just dropped his top 50 pending unrestricted free agents after the trade deadline, and he listed Dean No. 12 overall.
Dean and teammate Reed Blankenship are kind of in the same boat. They’re both respected, multi-year starters for the Eagles who are currently playing on expiring contracts. They also play two of the more challenging positions on the NFL value chart at inside linebacker and safety.
Both players could be enjoying their final ride with Philly in 2025; the Eagles used their second-round pick on safety Andrew Mukuba this year, and Blankenship’s status as a former undrafted free agent makes him a tougher sell internally for a big contract.
Read more: Eagles’ most overlooked contract story could shape 2026 offseason
As we saw in 2024, Dean has game-changing abilities for the Eagles’ defense. If he can fully regain that form over these next few months, Philly’s biggest offseason problem will be a good one to have.
