Eagles reporter: LB Devin White lost starting spot prior to injury

Ryan OLeary

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Eagles reporter: LB Devin White lost starting spot prior to injury image

As the Philadelphia Eagles took off for Brazil on Wednesday, news dropped of starter Devin White missing the flight with a surprise ankle injury.

At first glance, the news felt like a major blow to the Eagles defense. But was White really slated to play the lion’s share of snaps in Friday’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers?

Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles were preparing to start Nakobe Dean alongside Zack Baun at inside linebacker prior to the injury report they released Wednesday morning. 

While an injury to an experienced player like White is bad news for the Eagles’ depth at the position, Dean’s emergence has been one of the stories of the preseason. 

The arrow has been pointing up on the third-year linebacker out of Georgia this summer. He spent each day of the offseason rehabbing the Lisfranc injury that ended his 2023 season after only five games, and seemed to hint that a long-awaited breakout season could be coming after flashing in the Eagles' first two preseason games.

"The injury that I had, it was hard and it was long,” Dean told reporters during camp. “I didn't have a day off. I didn't have an offseason. It was at least five days a week all the way up until training camp started as far as getting the foot right.

"I'm not back. I'm better."

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan OLeary Photo

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.