When news broke that Nakobe Dean's third 2024 season had come to an end following an unfortunate patellar tendon injury against the Green Bay Packers, fans of the Philadelphia Eagles openly stumped for Jeramiah Trotter Jr. to take his spot next to Zack Baun.
On paper, it makes sense, right? “Axman Jr.” has a Philadelphia legacy stronger than most for just being drafted onto his father's team; if he could turn in an incredible effort in the playoffs, it would only add to his already incredible legacy.
Fortunately, in Week 20, fans got their wish, with the official NFL graphic announcing him as a starter, but when it came to actually taking the field, something unusual happened: Oren Burks, not Trotter Jr., played all the defensive snaps next to Baun, with the rookie instead relegated exclusively to special teams.
What gives? Why did Burks leapfrog Trot even if the NFL officially didn't know it? Well, while he didn't get into the specifics, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni did take some time to celebrate Burks, who showed up in a major way.
“Yeah, we missed [LB] Nakobe [Dean] like crazy. I love Nakobe Dean. I’ve made that very clear how I feel about him. Missed him. But Oren, I had no doubt he was going to step in and play a good game. He is around great players on defense. [Linebackers Coach] Bobby King helped him be successful in those moments, too, with the fundamentals that they work on. Vic put him in position to succeed, and Oren went out and played a good game and made some big tackles. There was a screen that could've got out of there that he was right there to make a play. How many tackles did he have?” Sirianni asked.
“Six tackles. Every time he stepped on the field, he's played really good football. I mean, how about Howie [Roseman] and his staff of the job they’ve done to get some of these guys in here that are the backups that have had to play significant time this year. Isaiah had to play the whole game today; did some really good things. [T] Fred [Johnson], the list goes on and on. So, all the credit goes to Oren because he's the one out there battling. Proud of him. Proud of the effort he had. To say I was surprised by it, not even a little bit. He's a warrior and he gives everything he has to this. He's a special teammate. The guys really respond to him. We’ve got some special people in this building. Again, it's not the best groups of individuals that win, it's the best teams that win, and we’ve got some special guys.”
You know, after turning in an ugly effort in spot-up defensive duty in Week 19, Burks really did play some incredibly effective football as a starter in everything but name only, picking up six tackles, a QB hit, and a pass defensed on the way to a 28-22 win in a snowy Sunday affair. With a third showdown against the Commanders approaching, it's clear Burks deserves his third Eagles start of the season.