NFL Rumors: Tua MVP buzz, Vikings O-line solution, Eagles injury luck
- Eagles injury luck already taking a hit compared to 2022
- Vikings have an obvious O-line solution
- Tua is getting crazy MVP buzz after Week 1
NFL Rumors: Eagles injury luck turns sour with Nakobe Dean out
At the risk of sounding too obvious, one of the biggest keys for any NFL team hoping to make a deep run toward a Super Bowl is staying healthy. And for all the great things Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles did last year, that was a massive factor in their success as, per Football Outsiders, they were one of the four healthiest teams in the league in 2022.
The Eagles, however, slid a bit under the radar this offseason in terms of the depth that this roster lost on both sides of the ball. And though the top-end talent remains among the best in the NFL, staying healthy, one could argue, is even more critical for their 2023 success than it was last season.
Though Philadelphia survived a Week 1 scare from the Patriots to move to 1-0, the Eagles didn't make it out of the game unscathed as starting linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a foot injury. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the injury is expected to sideline him for "multiple weeks".
The good news for the Eagles is that Dean's injury isn't expected to require surgery and should see him return in some time. The bad news is that linebacker is an area where the club could ill-afford to suffer an injury. Zach Cunningham is the other starter in a non-pass-rush role and Christian Elliss is the likely fill-in for Dean.
By no means is this a death knell for the Eagles season -- far from it. However, it's an early reminder that, should injury luck really take a turn for the worst in Philly, they could be up against it more so than people expect.