The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are looking to repeat this season, and having linebacker Nakobe Dean healthy is going to be critical for the defense. He suffered a torn patellar tendon in the NFC Wild Card Game against the Green Bay Packers and missed the final three playoff games en route to the franchise winning its second Super Bowl.
This upcoming season, expectations for Dean and the Eagles as a whole are going to be through the roof, and he is recovering from his knee injury in an unconventional way. What exactly is it that he is doing?
Nakobe Dean Is Training With a Philadelphia Ballet Company
BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, is helping Dean get back on the field, as he is training with them in hopes of being a bit lighter on his feet and more agile. While being interviewed by NBC Philadelphia, he shared how it is helping him get back on the gridiron.
“There’s way more flexibility, of course. Way more mobility. It’s definitely something that’s helping with my rehab. You just feel a change immediately. After you stretch, you’re not as tight or as sore.”
Dean is not the first player to look toward ballet to help get back on the field, as Pro Football Hall of Famers Lynn Swann and Walter Payton have also notably delved into the dance practice.
Nakobe Dean moving around pretty well 👀
🎥: @Eagles pic.twitter.com/IywPwz6Lli
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) May 23, 2025
Dean has a lot of motivation to have a massive season this year, as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, and is looking to get paid.
He has performed well in the first three years of his career with the Eagles; in 37 games (19 starts) he has 171 total tackles (111 solo, 60 assisted) with 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and four pass deflections. Dean has also held his own in coverage as he has allowed quarterbacks to complete 47 of 62 (75.8%) of their passes when targeting his man.
With the team selecting Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there is going to be some competition for the starting linebacker spot, even with the Eagles playing a base 3-4 defense. It will be interesting to see if Dean’s training with the ballerina company allows him to stay healthier throughout the 2025 season, which is expected to be one of the more difficult schedules in the league.