Philadelphia Eagles starter surprisingly ruled out day of Brazil trip

Ryan OLeary

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Philadelphia Eagles starter surprisingly ruled out day of Brazil trip image

The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to Brazil Wednesday without a key piece in the middle of their defense. 

Veteran inside linebacker Devin White, one of the team’s key offseason additions in free agency, was ruled out for Friday night’s season opener due to an ankle injury. He did not make the 10-hour flight to Sao Paulo with the team.

Since Wednesday is a travel day for the Eagles, they released an estimated practice report. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was listed as a limited participant with a hand injury. Tight end Dallas Goedert, who has been dealing with an oblique injury, was not listed. 

Per Ashlyn Sullivan of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Nakobe Dean is the most likely candidate to start alongside Zack Baun in the middle of the Eagles’ defense for Friday night’s opener against the Green Bay Packers.

The Eagles had big plans for Dean in 2023, but his season was cut short due to a Lisfranc injury. After proving he's back to full speed throughout training camp and the preseason, Dean made a strong case to start at inside linebacker outright, and may have actually won the job. White's injury should also open the door for rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who flashed enough to earn first-team reps himself during training camp.

General manager Howie Roseman has long believed in building his defenses through the trenches, and that’s led to some lean linebacker rooms over the years. Seeking change this past offseason, Roseman actively hunted for help at the position in free agency, with White as the most notable addition. A former No. 5 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, White is one of only two players, alongside Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, to accumulate at least 500 tackles, 20 sacks, and 10 takeaways in his first five NFL seasons dating back to 2000.

While losing the experience of White is not ideal, the Eagles should be in good hands defensively against the Packers. Ross Tucker, a former NFL veteran who’s now a game analyst for the Eagles among various other media gigs, had this to say about the team's linebacking corps towards the end of training camp:

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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.