It’s unfortunate that Philadelphia Eagles inside linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was ejected after the opening kickoff in a Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, as it seemed like he was finally getting a chance to play beyond special teams.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said on Tuesday that he’d planned to split reps between Trotter and struggling 2025 first-round pick Jihaad Campbell against the Jaguars, but denied that Campbell has already lost his starting spot.
“Eagles DC Vic Fangio confirmed that he had planned to split reps between Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. Said broadcast claim that Trotter was going to start was a ‘lie.’ Said split moving forward could be by series,” The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
While Fangio may have denied Trotter was going to start, it’s hard to ignore his admission that he’d split reps, at least as a soft benching, for Campbell, who also lost his starting spot as a rookie.
“My thoughts on the Eagles linebacker rotation with Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: For the short-term future, it makes sense to play Trotter more because he will make less mistakes and be in the right position more often to make tackles,” Eagles reporter Cayden Steele wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “But for Campbell’s long-term outlook, this is not a good development. He needs to play a ton of snaps to grow as a player. I’m a little worried about Campbell’s trajectory. I thought he flashed a lot of potential as a rookie, but things aren’t going well this year.”
Eagles Looking for Answers Everywhere on Roster
If Philadelphia’s defense has a weak link right now, it’s Campbell.
With 2-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Zack Baun back against the Jaguars after missing 2 games with a concussion, and Trotter waiting in the wings, it’s easy to see Campbell being asked to take a seat.
Campbell started the first 10 games of his rookie season before Dean returned from a torn patellar tendon and took his spot back.
By the time the Eagles hit the playoffs, Campbell had been essentially phased out of the defensive game plan and played just 1 snap in an NFC Wild Card Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“It was clear that Eagles LB Jihaad Campbell had another rough day in coverage,” Philly Special’s Anthony DiBona wrote on his official X account before Week 5. “Campbell allowed eight receptions on 12 targets for 76 yards against the Rams. Campbell is a popular target in Philadelphia again — but not for the right reasons … The Eagles need to really consider swapping Jihaad Campbell for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. next week.”
Jihaad Campbell’s Struggles on Full Display
Campbell’s Week 4 struggles against the Los Angeles Rams may have been the final straw.
“Jihaad Campbell allowed more receiving yards (76) than the Eagles had total team pass yards (68),” Bleacher Report’s Thomas Petersen wrote on his official X account after the loss to the Rams. “Campbell was targeted 12 times, allowing 8 completions, and 3 other targets were dropped or uncatchable.”
“My take on Jihaad Campbell: 1) Playing in coverage as a LB is HARD 2) We knew he needed development, this is how he develops 3) Not every ‘target’ is created equal 4) Must disentangle when offense is targeting a ‘player’ vs a ‘position’ in scheme,” NFL reporter Fran Duffy wrote on X on September 29.
The Eagles let Dean leave for a 3-year, $36 million free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he’s been playing his position as well as anyone in the NFL through the first month of the season.
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