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Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean hasn’t played a single snap this season and he won’t even be eligible to play until Week 5 at the very earliest.

But he’s still a huge part of the Eagles’ defense.

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“It’s like I’m playing with him but not playing with him,” All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun said. “He’s super engaged. For someone to be out and not out there on the field, it’s impressive how engaged he is.”

Dean, 24, was playing at an extremely high level last season before he tore his patellar tendon in the wild-card round game against the Packers in January. Dean began this season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which means he isn’t even eligible to return until the Broncos game —

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