The Philadelphia Eagles took on the Chicago Bears on Friday and suffered their fourth loss of the season.
Since then, much has been said about the team’s offense and none of it has been positive. The narrative around the offense has dominated that airwaves and one decision that has gone under the radar involves rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell.
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The Eagles rookie has had his role change
Nov 10, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell (30) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
There was a time earlier in the season when Campbell looked like the favorite to win the AP National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Now, his role with the franchise is up on the air. Campbell was a starter for the Eagles across the first eight games of the season. His role has shifted since Nakobe Dean returned. His defensive snaps have dipped each week over the last four games but he had his first game of his career without a single defensive snap on Friday against Chicago.
Campbell got six snaps in the special teams, but zero snaps on defense. When the Eagles took on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12, Campbell set a then-season low mark of 14.9 percent of the defensive snaps played. That was low and then Philadelphia followed up by completely taking him off the field on defense against Chicago just one game later.
With Dean in the mix — and thriving — along with the ascension of Jaelan Phillips, it’s not shocking Campbell’s playing time has taken a hit. But going from a clear-cut starter playing over 95 percent of the team’s defensive snaps, to not getting any action on defense is a striking difference.
The Eagles selected Campbell with the No. 31 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s going to be a big piece for this team for a while. Still, it’s surprising to see how the team has handled the rookie over the last few weeks. The Eagles’ defense is thriving overall, so clearly they know what they are doing. But it’s still surprising.
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