Philadelphia Eagles starting linebacker Nakobe Dean exited Sunday's 22-10 wild card win over the Green Bay Packers early with a knee injury and did not return.
Dean suffered the injury while making a late tackle in the second quarter and was carted off the field.
Dean logged six tackles and two tackles for loss before exiting and the Eagles turned to backup Oren Burks.
After the game, Dean was spotted leaving in crutches while wearing a brace on his right leg.
Dean has been a huge reason the Eagles have made it this far and his potential loss for the rest of the Eagles' playoff run will be felt.
"It hurt my heart," said edge rusher and fellow Georgia product Nolan Smith. "As soon as I walked in (the locker room), seeing him in here, I prayed. Then I was the first one there (on the field). I tried to help him up. He said, 'No.'
"I immediately closed my eyes and prayed right there. To a lot of people it’s a game, this is a game to them, this is just, ‘Oh, it’s just football.' But this is our livelihood." I know me and him leave it on the field, and we were talking about it."
Philly's defense is full of former Georgia Bulldogs, which has made the defense's bond that much stronger -- something quarterback Jalen Hurts has certainly noticed this year.
“I think one thing that I learned was the bond that those Georgia guys have, and how they play,” Hurts said. “I think that that’s had a great influence on our defense, because there’s always a confidence, there’s always an intensity there and swagger about themselves. O think that feeds through the whole defense, and I think it’s very similar to all the guys that come from Alabama and the SEC and that have seen each other and played alongside one another, or watch guys play in that conference or in college.
"But I think he’s a pivotal piece to our defense and he’ll be missed. I’m praying for a speedy recovery.”
The Eagles will continue to lean on Burks opposite of Zack Baun, and they also have rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to turn to if need be.
