Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is ready to make his mark, stepping up for the Eagles in the wake of Nakobe Dean’s injury as Philadelphia preps for a high-stakes playoff matchup.

After the Eagles lost inside linebacker Nakobe Dean to a torn patellar tendon in last week’s wild-card round, attention quickly turned to Oren Burks to replace him for Sunday’s divisional

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. grew up watching his father in playoff games at Lincoln Financial Field. Two decades later, the son of Jeremiah Trotter Sr. may be getting his opportunity to etch his name in franchise lore.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. stood at his locker with a phone in his hand, talking to his father on the other end after his first career start in the league went as well is it could go. Trotter's father, four-time Pro Bowler and Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer Jeremiah Trotter Sr.

In the absence of Najobe Dean, the Philadelphia Eagles know that they need to have a strong succession plan in place if they want to keep their defense among the elite in the playoffs. For defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, that means potentially choosing between a veteran like Oren Burks and a fifth-round rookie in Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr.’s first brush with playoff football at the Linc occurred long before Sunday’s wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers. The 22-year-old inside linebacker frequented the stadium with his father,