It appears the Philadelphia Eagles' defense will be without a key contributor for the rest of their playoff run.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Nakobe Dean's injury will keep him out the rest of the season because of a torn patellar tendon in Sunday’s win over the Packers. The loss of Dean is a significant one, the Georgia product produced 128 tackles, three sacks, nine TFLs, one interception, and two fumble recoveries.

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Per Rapoport, Dean “has a long road to recovery” and will “likely miss the start of next season.”

Veteran Oren Burks replaced Dean in the lineup at linebacker, and will likely be the starter for the remainder of the playoffs. Burks played the Eagles Week 18 game against the Giants, amassing 17 tackles in the game

On the season Burks, who had the key hit on the Eagles' special teams unit in the win over Green Bay, has 31 total tackles and two forced fumbles

The Eagles signed Burks in the offseason after the veteran spent the previous two seasons with the 49ers and before that, he played five seasons in Green Bay with the Packers.

One other option is rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who also played in the game against the New York Giants, making 11 tackles in the win.

The Most Controversial People In The Last 30 Years Of Philadelphia Sports

Philadelphia Sports fans are never shy to speak their mind about the players and coaches who represent their favorite teams. There is a long list of Polarizing Figures who have coached and played the Professional Sports teams in Philadelphia. Here is our list of the 30 Most Controversial Men in the last 30 years of Philly Sports:

Gallery Credit: Josh Hennig/Townsquare Media

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