Breaking: Eagles gaining $10 in cap space release, are now Bringing Back ‘Steady’ $18 Million LB From NFC Wes
Both of the Philadelphia Eagles’ inside linebackers had outstanding seasons in 2024; fellow starter Nakobe Dean recorded 128 tackles in his debut season as a full-time starter, and NFL All-Pro Zack Baun played his way into a three-year, $51 million contract. The Eagles are in a somewhat vulnerable position at the other inside linebacker position, even though Baun is healthy and returned for the reigning Super Bowl champs. Dean is recovering from a severe injury involving a ruptured patellar tendon. Jihaad Campbell, the other choice and a 2025 first-round pick, has his own injury problems when he joins the NFL.
Kyzir White is the top free agency inside linebacker available, so the Eagles must act fast to sign him. White started eight games for the Eagles in 2022 and 17 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024, recording 137 tackles.
“So, what makes the fourth-round pick from 2018 the best off-ball linebacker left in free agency?” Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report wrote on May 31. To begin with, experience. White, who has expertise wearing the “green dot” helmet communicator and defensively directing traffic, has started inside three of the last four seasons as a full-time starter. He’s been productive, too. White has more than 100 total tackles in three of the last four seasons. He has recorded 7.5 sacks and six career interceptions, and he has also been excellent for the rare big play.
Campbell, Dean Both Handling Injury Concerns It’s not certain when Dean will come back from the torn patellar tendon he suffered in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Green Bay Packers. Dean might miss the most of the 2025 season because the recuperation from that kind of injury is usually comparable to that of an ACL. In order to choose Campbell, an All-SEC selection at Alabama in 2024, the Eagles exchanged first-round picks with the Kansas City Chiefs and moved up one spot from No. 32 to No. 31. In the transaction, Philadelphia also gave Kansas City a 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 164 overall).
White’s Road to NFL Reliability The starter White, a 6-foot-2, 234-pound safety/linebacker hybrid at West Virginia, was named to the All-Big 12 team in 2017 after recording 94 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and seven pass deflections. White was shifted to linebacker during rookie minicamp after being taken by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round (No. 119 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft.
White only played in three games before suffering a knee injury, despite earning a starting position for the Chargers as a rookie. In 2021, he had a breakout season, starting all 17 games and recording 144 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 7 TFL. On a one-year, $3 million contract, White played in all 17 games for the Eagles in 2022, recording eight starts and 110 tackles while assisting Philadelphia in reaching the Super Bowl. White signed a 2-year, $10 million contract with the Cardinals in March 2023 and recorded 90 tackles in 11 games in 2023 until a torn biceps tendon sidelined him for the final 6 games of the season.
