Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers and will miss the remainder of the playoffs. Dean left the game in the second quarter after suffering a left-knee injury and was carted to the locker room on crutches.
An MRI revealed the severity of the injury, which will sideline Dean for the rest of the postseason. The 2022 third-round draft pick had become a starting linebacker for the Eagles, recording 128 tackles and three sacks in 15 games this season.
Dean missed the final two games of the regular season with an abdominal injury, but had bounced back to become a key player on the Eagles’ defense. His teammates will have to adjust to his absence, with linebacker Oren Burks filling in for him on Sunday.
“We’re definitely playing for him out there,” Burks said after the game. “We’re going to miss him. We don’t know what the situation is, but this is a next man-up mentality.”
The Eagles will host either the Minnesota Vikings or Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round next weekend.
