Nakobe Dean provides update on Lisfranc injury rehab

Now that the Philadelphia Eagles got knocked out of the first round of the playoffs, their focus can turn to the offseason and the recovery of a number of players. One of their big missing pieces this year on defense was former Georgia star Nakobe Dean. He had dealt with multiple injuries this season, before finally being placed on Injured Reserve in the middle of November with a Lisfranc injury.

On Wednesday afternoon, Dean gave an update on his rehab to E.J. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The walking boot will come off in three weeks. Dean will be staying in the Philadelphia area this offseason for rehab and will hopefully be back for OTAs.

Prior to his injury, Dean came up with a big sack on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, which his alma mater celebrated on social media. He was credited with half a sack on the play, bringing his total to three tackles on the day before his early exit.

This season, Dean only played in only five games due to multiple injuries. He had 30 total tackles, 22 solo tackles, two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. In his career, while playing mostly special teams as a rookie, Dean has 43 total tackles, 31 solo tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.

Dean was a third-round pick out of Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 83 overall). While with the Bulldogs, he recorded 168 total tackles, 89 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions, eight pass deflections, three forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.

In his four seasons with the Bulldogs, Dean elevated his game consistently, leading an exceptional Georgia defense as one of the top linebackers in the entire nation. Last season, Dean realized his dream of bringing a championship to Georgia, helping to end a drought that spanned over 40 years when the Bulldogs defeated Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Additionally, the star linebacker was the recipient of the Butkus Award, presented annually to the top linebackers in college football.

A former five-star recruit in the class of 2019, Dean was the No. 4 linebacker in the nation per the On3 Industry Rankings. The former Georgia star played his high school football at Horn Lake in Horn Lake, Mississippi, where he was rewarded with the Gatorade State High School Football Player Award his senior season.

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle and Steve Samra also contributed to this article.