Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has spent this preseason making a pretty strong case for himself, even if the Eagles’ depth chart still leaves him on the outside looking in.
At 23 and entering Year 3, Trotter has the look of a starting NFL linebacker. The problem for him is that Philadelphia already has All-Pro Zack Baun back for his third season, and last year’s first-round pick Jihaad Campbell brings huge upside of his own. That keeps Trotter in a backup role for 2026, no matter how well he’s playing right now.
So far, though, he’s done plenty to turn heads. After opening the preseason with a strong showing against the Ravens, he followed it up with another big night against the Patriots on Saturday.
Week 1 vs. Ravens: 37 snaps snap, 5 tackles, 1 sack
Week 2 vs. Patriots: 21 snaps, 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL
Trotter’s answer to the situation is simple: keep working, keep producing, and don’t get caught up in anything beyond his job.
“I just try to make sure I’m doing my part,” Trotter said after Saturday’s preseason game in New England. “Whatever my role is on this team, I try to just be the best player I can to help out my teammates and do 100 percent in that role that I am. Whatever that is, I just try to put my head down and grind every single day.”
He also made it clear he knows what kind of player he can be.
“I’m definitely very confident in my abilities,” Trotter said. “As far as right now, I’m just trying to make sure I’m grinding and doing my part to make sure I’m the best player I can be. Continue to improve upon myself so I can maximize my capabilities.”
His best moment against New England came on a first-quarter sack of Patriots backup Tommy DeVito. Trotter came free on a blitz and got to DeVito almost instantly.
“Yeah, that’s probably the quickest I have ever gotten a sack,” Trotter said. “We were in a good blitz call right there. I was able to time it up well and jump it a little bit.”
Trotter said he was reading DeVito’s body language before the snap, watching for the quarterback’s hand to go under center. That cue told him the snap was coming, and it was the kind of detail his coaches have drilled into him in those blitz situations.
The Eagles’ linebackers take real pride in blitzing, and Trotter has fit right into that mindset. He wants to get home.
Even with Baun and Campbell ahead of him, Trotter’s preseason run has at least given the Eagles something useful: depth. And in his view, that depth has grown out of the experience he’s picked up from the veterans and coaches around him.
“I’m feeling confident,” Trotter said. “I’ve learned a lot.
I’ve had great veterans in front of me with Nakobe and Zack. … Just learning from them and learning from the coaches.
Coach Vic, he’s a great defensive mind. Just trying to soak in all the knowledge I can from him as well.
“I feel like just being able to have those two years under my belt and soak up as much knowledge as I can from guys that have a lot of experience has really helped me out.”
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