Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips want to be back with the Eagles, but one has a greater chance than the other

Nakobe Dean feels like questions about his durability have been hanging over his head like a “black cloud” since the 2022 NFL draft.

The linebacker out of Georgia, drafted 83rd overall by the Eagles that year, played 39 of a possible 39 college games, but concerns about a pectoral injury he suffered while training for the scouting combine helped cause his slide on draft weekend.

“The two injuries didn’t help me, but you got guys going through free agency who didn’t play this year who have had multiple injuries,” Dean said Monday as the Eagles cleaned out their lockers a day after their 23-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “It’s just a looming thing over me.”

» READ MORE: What now for Kevin Patullo, A.J. Brown after the Eagles offense went belly up again?

That is what Dean is carrying with him into free agency, a recent injury history that will likely impact his market. A Lisfranc injury that required surgery cut short his 2023 season after five games. Then, Dean suffered a torn left patellar tendon injury in the first round of the playoffs last year. The injury and rehabilitation caused him to miss the first five games of this season.

Dean, to his credit, looked like he didn’t miss a beat. He supplanted rookie Jihaad Campbell in the starting lineup by Week 8 and provided a big boost to the Eagles defense. He became one of the most productive blitzing linebackers this season and was solid in coverage. He had four sacks in 10 regular-season games after having three sacks in 15 games last season.

But Dean’s future with the Eagles is unclear. Campbell was drafted in the first round last spring and played well before Dean returned. The Eagles said they liked Campbell’s versatility to play both linebacker and line up at edge rusher when they drafted him, but he spent most of the season and played his best as an off-ball linebacker. In theory, there would be room to bring Dean back if Campbell was going to transition to the edge full time, but that doesn’t necessarily seem like the most likely path forward, and it remains to be seen what kind of value Dean may be able to find on the open market.

The Eagles, who have more than $20 million in salary-cap space for 2026, have decisions to make.

Dean, 25, said he talked to Howie Roseman on Monday but did not get an indication on his immediate future with the Eagles.

“Rightfully so,” Dean said. “The season just ended. He didn’t expect the season to end yesterday. So, rightfully so, everybody has to get away from ball for a little bit, take a couple deep breaths, and decisions will be made then.”

» READ MORE: The Eagles need to ask themselves some hard questions. Jalen Hurts should face a few of them.

Asked what Roseman’s message to him was, Dean said: “My impact has not gone unnoticed and he just expressed appreciation of me.”

Dean, of course, wants to stay with the team that drafted him and a lot of his Georgia friends.

“I think everybody knows I want to be in Philly,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”

Like Dean, Jaelan Phillips is hitting free agency for the first time.

Unlike with Dean, the Eagles don’t have a clear answer to slot in for Phillips if he were to depart for another team, making him a much more likely candidate to return to the Eagles.

Phillips made an immediate impact after the Eagles acquired him before the trade deadline from Miami for a third-round pick. He tallied 44 pressures and two sacks in nine games, including Sunday’s playoff game, according to Pro Football Focus, while playing 78% of the defensive snaps. That’s a lot of production to try to replace.

Phillips is one of the team’s five free-agent edge rushers. The Eagles have just two edge rushers under contract for 2026: Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith. The draft will be a place the Eagles likely look to add talent to the room, but they could use a top-end talent like Phillips at the top of the depth chart.

» READ MORE: Eagles receiver A.J. Brown remains silent one day after playoff loss

Phillips, 26, said he felt he fit in well with the defense. He had familiarity with Vic Fangio from their time together in Miami. Phillips is excited about his future, he said, and for his first experience with free agency.

“I would love to have that future be here,” he said. “It’s up to my agent and ultimately up to me, too. This is my first experience with it, so I’m not really sure how it plays out. We’ll see.”

Phillips said he has a child on the way and his family’s future will be a consideration in free agency, but the other things he wants he already has in Philadelphia.

“I want to be on a competitive team and in an environment where I love the guys I’m around and love the organization I’m playing for,” he said. “I feel that here. So we’ll see.”

Rookie safety Drew Mukuba was in the locker room Monday sporting a walking boot on his right foot. Mukuba fractured his fibula near the end of the Eagles’ Week 12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Mukuba said he should be out of the boot soon but did not have a firm timeline on the next steps in his recovery. He’s hoping to be ready for spring workouts, but said “late summer” was also a possibility.

“I’m walking, so I can’t complain,” he said.

» READ MORE: ‘It’s too soon to think about that’: Jalen Hurts puts off talking about Kevin Patullo’s future

He had a lot to complain about early after the injury. He couldn’t walk and had trouble getting comfortable, which led to some sleepless nights.

Mukuba said “I wasn’t where I needed to be” when the season started, but he was more comfortable as the season wore on.

“I feel like I kind of got over the hump after the first time we played the Giants,” Mukuba said. “Once I got over that, I feel like I was just stacking days.

“I hate that [the injury] happened, but that’s the game and I can’t control it.”