The Eagles’ Week 9 loss to the Giants was ugly on offense, but the defense gave Philadelphia something to hang onto in a 19-11 defeat. At the center of it was Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who turned in the kind of performance that makes a lineup decision a lot harder for the Eagles.
Trotter was back in the starting mix for the second straight game because Jihaad Campbell remained out with hamstring and quad injuries. And this time, Trotter didn’t just hold his own - he took over.
The third-year linebacker out of Clemson finished with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. Pro Football Focus handed him a 90.6 overall grade, the best mark of anyone in the game. It was the kind of outing that showed off his instincts, his range and his ability to be around the ball all night.
For Eagles fans, it had echoes of what they saw from Trotter in last year’s Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders, when he posted 12 tackles, two quarterback hits and one tackle for. That game came against backups, but the Giants performance felt different. This one looked like a player who had finally put it all together.
He was flying around the field and looking a lot like Zack Baun in the process. The run stops were there.
The blitzes were there. The feel for the game was there.
It was the version of Trotter the Eagles saw in preseason, even if they kept Campbell in the starting role anyway.
That’s where the conversation gets uncomfortable for Philadelphia. Campbell, the team’s first-round pick in 2025, has been decent against the run and brings his best value as a pass rusher, but the numbers have been rough overall.
PFF has him at a 49 overall grade, 68th out of 76 eligible linebackers. His coverage grade is 53.7, his run-defense grade is 43.1 and his pass-rush grade is 64.1.
The bigger issue is where he’s being asked to play. Campbell has been a problem in coverage, where he’s allowed a passer rating of 112.7. Vic Fangio appears to be forcing him into spots that don’t fit, and the source of the issue is clear: Campbell needs to be used more on blitzes on passing downs or even get looks off the edge.
That’s also where Trotter’s case gets stronger. He looks more natural as an inside linebacker, with the coverage ability and run-stopping instincts to handle the job now and grow into it with more reps. The Eagles don’t need to treat Campbell like a lost cause, but they also can’t keep leaving Trotter in a limited role if he keeps playing like this.
The message from Week 9 was hard to miss. Trotter is not just a useful piece.
He looks like a starter. And the Eagles may have reached the point where they can’t keep pretending otherwise.
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