The Eagles’ linebacker room is changing fast, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. looks like one of the biggest winners.
Nakobe Dean is gone, leaving in free agency for the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year contract, and that opens the door for a new look in 2026. Zack Baun sits at the top of the group, Jihaad Campbell is lined up as the second starter, and the real question is who claims that third spot. After two seasons mostly spent waiting his turn, Trotter is finally positioned to get that chance.
For most of his first two NFL seasons, the 2024 fifth-round pick was known more for special teams work than defensive snaps. He handled that job well, too.
Last year, he finished with 32 tackles, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss in 17 games, and he ranked among the league’s top special teams tacklers. That side of the ball became his lane, and he made himself valuable there.
Then came Week 18 against the Commanders.
In his only start of the 2025 season, Trotter put together the kind of performance that gets a coaching staff’s attention: 12 tackles, two quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. It was the game that had Eagles fans wondering why he hadn’t been on the field more often on defense.
The issue wasn’t his play. It was the depth chart.
Philadelphia was crowded at linebacker, and there simply wasn’t much room for him to crack the rotation.
Now that Dean has moved on, that logjam is gone.
There’s also the Philadelphia angle that makes this feel bigger than a standard roster opening. The Trotter name carries real weight in this city, thanks to Jeremiah Trotter Sr., who was a key figure on the Eagles’ defense in the late 90s and early 2000s. That kind of family connection can bring pressure, but Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has handled every role he’s been given.
Now he gets the next one. In 2026, he should finally be part of the linebacker rotation with Baun and Campbell, and there’s a real sense that his ceiling might be higher than just being the next man up.
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