Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has earned his chance to start
· Yahoo Sports
At the time a few years ago, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was considered a “pity pick” by some in the Eagles’ organization, when he was taken with the second of the Eagles’ three fifth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft at No. 155 overall.
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Trotter Jr. has since proven in these last two seasons that he is more than that.
If anyone bared to notice last Sunday in the Eagles’ nightmare 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the No. 2 offense in the NFL averaging 417 yards and No. 2 averaging 290.3 yards a game, Trotter had a game-high 15 tackles, 10 solo. In part-time duty, he’s No. 6 overall on the Eagles in tackles with 19 tackles, tied with starting cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and one behind starting safety Andrew Mukuba.
Playing in place of the injured Zack Baun, Trotter was all over the field. The 15 tackles were a season-high performance for any Eagles defender so far this year. The performance also came after Trotter led the Eagles in tackles during preseason.
Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio certainly noticed Trotter against the Rams.
When asked how Trotter played against Los Angeles, and if that merited more playing time, Fangio said, “Yeah, he played very well. Did a good job … Possibly, yeah (more playing time).”
Trotter has the support of many in the Jefferson Health Training Complex, especially Fangio. What Fangio may be facing is the fact Eagles’ general manager selected Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft (31st pick overall). Being a first-round selection comes with the immediate pressure to perform, which Campbell has done sporadically, though not consistently. Campbell, listed at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, may be better served as an edge rusher with the ball in front of him, instead of working in space, where he tends to lose receivers.
A classic example of that came in the season opener against Washington. Campbell completely lost Commanders’ rookie Antonio Williams for a 33-yard reception on a third-and-14 play at the Eagles’ 47 with 12:12 left to play. It led to a Washington touchdown with 9:59 to play. How Campbell lost Williams was baffling.
The Eagles have some thinking to do. Trotter’s contract is up in 2028. The Eagles can extend Trotter after the 2027 season. Roseman drafted Campbell with the intention of contributing as an edge rusher, and he did bear up well for a time before Fangio thought Campbell was better at linebacker. Against the Chicago Bears, a couple of them who were on the field against Campbell, they admitted Campbell was a great athlete with a great future ahead of him though was also someone right now who “doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
Campbell leads the Eagles with 37 tackles, but he is still learning at a slow pace. Plus, as a Roseman first-round pick, that carries some weight, regardless of how lost he sometimes looks in coverage.
Trotter will continue to do what he does, keeps his head down, immerses himself in game film, and never stirs drama. He’s about football. He’s always been about football, since he starred at St Joe’s Prep, and Clemson, and now, it seems, casting a larger role with the Eagles. He once played under the large shadow of his dad, “as the son of former Eagles’ great Jeremiah Trotter Sr.” It is a shadow long since faded. The only thing missing for Jeremiah Trotter Jr. now is opportunity, because he has certainly proved he can start in the NFL—and for the Eagles.