The Eagles are dialing back Jihaad Campbell’s workload, and that’s the kind of move that says plenty.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday that Campbell will split his starting snaps with Jeremiah Trotter Jr. That shift would have shown up against the Jaguars if Trotter hadn’t been ejected.
For a player taken by Philadelphia in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s a notable step back. Campbell has started five games this season and put up 42 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble, but the production hasn’t come with much consistency. He’s flashed as an athlete, yet his play in coverage has been shaky, with big throws getting completed over the middle.
The issue, as the Eagles see it, is not the physical tools. It’s the processing.
Campbell’s instincts are still coming along, and his development has been slowed by missed spring reps during his first two years because of shoulder injuries. He hasn’t had the steady practice time that helps a young linebacker clean up the details.
Trotter has given the staff a different kind of trust. Drafted in the fifth round in 2024, he’s settled in as a solid option, and he logged 15 tackles in his Week 4 start against the Los Angeles Rams. Right now, his instincts are ahead of Campbell’s, and that matters when the margin for error is thin.
In the short term, the logic is obvious: play the guy who is more likely to be in the right place and make the safer play. But for Campbell, the bigger picture is tougher. He needs reps, and plenty of them, to keep growing into the player the Eagles drafted him to be.
Fangio said he’s not worried about how Campbell will handle the situation. He also soft benched Campbell last season for former Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean.
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