Nakobe Dean’s time in the City of Brotherly Love appears to be running out. With his rookie contract expired and the Eagles facing a crowded linebacker room, the organization seems unlikely to bring him back, leaving Dean to find a new home in free agency.

“From a team-building perspective, it’s a similar situation to Milton Williams last year, where you know he’s [Nakobe Dean’s] a really good player, but he’s of more value to someone else than he is to you in terms of what they’re willing to pay,” 97.5 The Fanatic’s Zach Berman said. 

And none of this is a talent problem. During the 2024 season (the year the Eagles outran the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX), Nakobe Dean was one of the defense’s most important pieces throughout the regular season. 

He racked up 128 tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and six quarterback hits across 15 games. Then, in the Wild Card round, he tore his patellar tendon and missed the final three games of the run, including the Super Bowl itself. Unfortunately, that has been the story of Dean’s career. 

This season told a similar story: Dean missed most of the year while recovering from that same knee injury, eventually returning to play in just 10 games, starting eight. He finished with 55 tackles, four sacks, and six quarterback hits. In total, Dean has now missed 21 regular-season games across four seasons.

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That pattern mirrors what happened with defensive tackle Milton Williams before him. Williams had a career-defining 2023 season with 42 tackles, seven quarterback hits, and 0.5 sacks. His tackle production dipped to 24 in 2024, but he still delivered one of the most memorable Super Bowl performances. He strip-sacked Patrick Mahomes twice and finished with four tackles and a quarterback hit. 

Despite those heroics on the biggest stage, the Eagles let him walk in free agency, where he signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the Patriots. So why won’t the Eagles simply retain Dean? 

The Eagles already have their answer at linebacker, and his name is Zack Baun. He has accumulated 274 tackles, seven sacks, and 10 quarterback hits over the past two seasons. And in the first round of the 2025 draft, the Eagles selected Jihaad Campbell with the No. 31 overall pick. 

Campbell stepped in immediately, playing all 17 games, and in Dean’s absence, emerged as Baun’s primary running mate. He finished the season with 80 tackles and a quarterback hit. With Baun and Campbell now running that linebacker room, there is no starting spot left for Dean. Not physically, and not financially. 

“You’re looking at two linebackers being paid $10-plus million if you bring Dean back. And I just don’t think that’s the direction that the Eagles should go when you’re building a roster,” Berman added.

The cap math backs him up. Baun and Campbell’s combined cap hits already exceed $10 million. And Dean, who played his entire rookie deal on an average annual salary of just $1.3 million, is now projected to command a market value of $7.9 million per year, according to Spotrac. 

That means Dean hits the open market, and based on the buzz circling his name, his next stop could be in the same division he just dominated or all the way out west in the AFC.

Nakobe Dean has options as he enters free agency with suitors lining up

If Nakobe Dean does leave Philadelphia, two destinations have surfaced as the most logical fits: the Denver Broncos and the Washington Commanders. As Berman noted, Dean may simply be worth more to a team that needs him than he is to a team that already has other options.

The Broncos are set to lose both of their starting inside linebackers to free agency. Veterans Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are both hitting the open market. While Singleton could potentially return, Strnad’s chances of coming back look slim.

That creates a real need at inside linebacker, and Dean’s name has already come up as a natural fit. The one issue is cost. Strnad carries a projected market value of approx. $3.8 million per year, making him nearly $4 million cheaper than Dean. 

But Dean is not shying away from the conversation. Speaking to Luca Evans of The Denver Post, he said he enjoys “watching the Broncos’ defense.” Also, that he would consider joining the franchise “if everything checks out … for sure.”

​The other destination drawing real attention is Washington. The Commanders leaned heavily on Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee at the LB position. But Wagner was on a one-year, $9 million extension and is widely expected to be out the door. That leaves a clear opening, and Dean’s name keeps coming up as the natural replacement.

“The former third-round pick owns the type of athleticism and playmaking that could get him paid this offseason,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra noted.

However, the financial comparison is close enough. Wagner’s 2026 projected market value sits at $7.7 million per year, according to Spotrac. That’s just slightly below Dean’s $7.8 million projection. 

Still, given Dean’s injury history and the leverage that gives any negotiating team, there is every reason to believe his actual contract could come in below that market figure, making him a more affordable option than the raw numbers suggest.