Nakobe Dean is ‘iffy’ for the Eagles this week; Does Jalen Carter’s return impact Brandon Graham?

Nakobe Dean’s return to a full-time role after his recovery from a patellar tendon injury helped ignite an Eagles defense that was a bit unsteady in the early portion of the season.

Dean has impacted the run defense and has been an effective blitzer. But the Eagles may temporarily be without the fourth-year linebacker after he left Saturday’s road win over the Washington Commanders with a hamstring injury.

Dean is “doing better than I think they thought he would,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday. But Fangio called Dean “iffy” for this week.

Sure enough, not long after Fangio sat for his weekly news conference, Dean entered the indoor practice bubble at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday afternoon in a sweatshirt and with no helmet.

“The good news is I don’t think it’s too serious, and I don’t think we’re done seeing him for this season,” Fangio said of Dean.

If Dean misses Sunday’s game at Buffalo, the Eagles will turn to rookie Jihaad Campbell.

Campbell, the Eagles’ first-round pick, started and had a big role in his first seven NFL games with Dean still recovering from his knee injury. But his playing time drastically decreased when Dean returned and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. Campbell played 11 defensive snaps in Week 12, zero in Week 13, nine in Week 14, and six in Week 15 before being forced back onto the field Saturday when Dean went down.

Fangio said Campbell’s development at inside linebacker was stunted a bit when the Eagles were forced to use him as an outside linebacker and edge rusher when they “ran out of guys” earlier this season.

“It’ll be good to get him back there and focused on that,” Fangio said.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 17 vs. the Bills

One key player out, another one in.

Jalen Carter returned to the practice field Tuesday for the first time since he underwent a medical procedure on both of his shoulders following the Eagles’ Nov. 28 game against the Chicago Bears.

Fangio said the Eagles are “hopeful” that Carter will make his return to game action Sunday.

The Eagles have played well without Carter. Jordan Davis’ emergence as a force on the defensive line is a big reason the front hasn’t missed a beat, as is Moro Ojomo’s presence. But Byron Young and, notably, Brandon Graham also have provided a spark.

Graham has three sacks in 16 snaps over the last two weeks. The Eagles have been playing him exclusively as an interior lineman with Carter out.

Will that change?

“We’ll see,” Fangio said. “It’s kind of fluid with a guy who has not played in a month.”

Speaking of Davis, Fangio felt his defensive tackle was snubbed when the Pro Bowl team was announced Tuesday morning, and Davis wasn’t even an alternate.

Fangio has an idea: a Pro Bowl committee.

“Get a couple retired coaches, a couple retired personnel guys, a couple retired players that will take pride in it, and they name it,” he said. “Everybody and their mother’s got a vote.”

Carter’s return to the practice field and his potential return to game action are an indication that the Eagles at least will treat Sunday like a normal game and not worry about resting starters.

The No. 2 seed in the NFC remains up for grabs.

“We’re going full steam ahead,” Fangio said when asked how he was approaching this week with the starters.

» READ MORE: To play or not to play: Eagles face looming rest decisions; no competition coming for Jake Elliott

Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay reiterated what Nick Sirianni said Monday about the team’s confidence in kicker Jake Elliott, who missed two field goals Saturday — and had a third miss negated by a penalty — and whose make percentage is down to a career-low 70.8%.

Clay said he thought Elliott’s starting line on his kicks might be part of the issue. Elliott has missed five field goals and an extra point over the last five games.

“I’m not a kicker,” Clay said. “But you’re not in the NFL for nine years if you don’t know how to self-correct.

“It’s going to come down to a point where we’re going to have to call on him, and he’s shown that he can do it.”