Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell, a full-time starter now that Nakobe Dean is gone, is dealing with a serious shoulder injury that will sideline him for the next several months, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Wednesday.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark caught up with Fangio at a reception for Hall of Fame coach Dick Vermeil at the Mission Capitalist Club in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County.

With Dean signing a three-year contract with the Raiders, Campbell takes over Dean’s starting linebacker spot.

“Well, he’s got to be ready,” Fangio said. “And we’ve got to do a good job getting him ready. 

“You know, he is dealing with a shoulder injury, he’s gonna miss probably most of the offseason. So we’re gonna have to cram it into him in training camp. And hopefully we have enough work to get that done for him.”

Campbell has been dealing with shoulder issues since his final year at Alabama. He said he got hurt at some point during the 2024 season and had surgery last March to repair a torn labrum. Injury concerns are likely why Campbell fell to the Eagles with the 31stpick in last year’s draft.

Campbell played in all 18 games last year, starting 10 before Dean returned from rehabbing his knee injury. 

But he did appear on the injury report late in the season with what was called a “back/shoulder” injury.

Campbell showed up on the injury list as limited the week before the regular-season finale against Washington, but he was a full participant at practice by Friday and played 62 snaps in the 24-17 loss at the Linc.

But it sounds like he’ll miss all the offseason workouts, including spring OTAs. Considering his lack of experience, that’s important work for any young player. Fangio did seem to think Campbell would be ready to go for training camp in late July.

With Dean gone and Campbell sidelined, the Eagles have Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Smael Mondon as linebacker options until Campbell returns.

Fangio also spoke about the free agency losses of Dean, Reed Blankenship and Jaelan Phillips from last year’s defense.

“Yeah, it’s like we’re the farm system defensively for the 31 other teams in the league,” he said. “But we’ll do a good job. Howie does a great job putting together the roster. The assistant coaches will do a great job getting the new guys ready, and we’ll be ready.

“But we’ll miss them. You know, Nikobe had a great two years for us. You know, We’re going to miss him. I really enjoyed the guy. 

“We lost Reid. Reid was a great story, coming from an undrafted free agent to being a starter, winning a Super Bowl, being an elected captain. You know, he’s got a lot of intangibles besides his good play that we’ll miss. 

“And Jaelen Phillips, he’s a hell of a player, as you saw Carolina thought so, too, with the amount of money they paid him. We were trying hard to keep him, but it got a bit too expensive. And I wish him nothing but the best of luck.”

The one addition on defense is outside forner Riq Woolen, a Pro Bowler in 2022. Woolen’s 12 interceptions since 2022 are 10th-most in the NFL and 4th-most among cornerbacks. He joins Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in a loaded cornerback room.

“I haven’t met him yet, I only know him from video study and evaluating him,” Fangio said. “And we’re hopeful that he’s going to come in here and play very well. If Tariq can turn out to be what we hope he can be, it will be three good cover guys.”

Fangio goes back to the early 1980s with Vermeil. They first crossed paths when Fangio was coaching at his alma mater, Dunmore High outside Scranton.

“When I first started coaching in high school, I went to a clinic where Dick spoke at,” he said. “It was down in Atlantic City, and he was the coach of the Eagles at the time. So I was fired up to go see him, and I even went and got his autograph after he spoke. And I told him that story, and now this many years later, we’re good friends. We text before and after every game, text in the offseason, been to each other’s house. 

“And, you know, to go from that clinic where I was a high school coach, and he was the head coach of the Eagles to now, what a great relationship I have with him. You know, it means a lot.