Jihaad Campbell waited his turn. With A.J. Brown traded to the New England Patriots earlier this month, Eagles linebacker Campbell is officially switching his jersey number to 11 for the 2026 season.
Campbell, a 2025 first-round pick out of Alabama, wore No. 30 last year because No. 11 was occupied by Brown. The number has been available since the Patriots trade went down on June 1, and Campbell’s request to switch was approved by the league this week.
This is the right move for the right reason. Campbell wore No. 11 at Alabama and asked for it the moment the Eagles drafted him. He took No. 30 with the understanding that he would switch the second the opportunity opened up. Brown’s trade made that possible faster than anyone expected.
The bigger story is what Brown’s departure means for the Eagles. Philadelphia traded the All-Pro wide receiver to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. It was the kind of move that signals the Eagles are reshuffling around the Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley era.
For Campbell, the jersey switch is mostly symbolic. He started 12 games as a rookie and finished with 67 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions. The Eagles have plans for him to be the next star linebacker in the franchise, and that path starts with year two.
The Alabama connection matters too. Campbell played for Nick Saban as a freshman and Kalen DeBoer as a sophomore. He came into the NFL with the kind of polish that schools like Alabama produce, and he was a starter from week one of his rookie year.
The Eagles defense has reloaded around him. Vic Fangio is back as the defensive coordinator. Nolan Smith is entering year three. Jalen Carter is reportedly trying to get paid this offseason, which is a story we will get to in a different article. The defensive front is loaded.
The receiving corps without A.J. Brown is the actual question for Philadelphia. DeVonta Smith is still the No. 1. Dallas Goedert remains the security blanket at tight end. The Eagles drafted wide receiver Travis Hunter Jr. with their first round pick last April, but he is still raw.
The bet is that Jalen Hurts can still operate the offense at a high level without A.J. Brown to bail him out on third down. Some analysts have questioned that. The Eagles offense was significantly less explosive in 2024 when Brown missed games with injuries, and now he is gone for good.
The Patriots, meanwhile, got the offensive weapon they have been chasing for years. Drake Maye now has a true No. 1 receiver. The price was steep, but New England is in win-now mode after a strong 2025 season under Jerod Mayo.
For Campbell, the focus is on year two improvement. He has the tools to become an All-Pro. The position around him is set. The coaching is elite. The expectation now is to take a real leap and become one of the centerpieces of the Eagles defense.
The Howie Roseman approach to roster building has always been to identify young talent and pay them when they are ready. Campbell is on that trajectory. If he produces at a high level this season, he will have a four-year, $100 million extension waiting for him after the 2027 campaign.
The number change is a small thing, but it also speaks to how quickly turnover happens in the modern NFL. A.J. Brown was the face of the Eagles offense 18 months ago. Now his number belongs to a second-year linebacker, and the franchise is moving in a different direction.
That is professional football. Players come and go. Numbers get reassigned. Legacies get rewritten by trades and contract negotiations. Campbell stepping into No. 11 is the symbolic close of the A.J. Brown era in Philly.
The Eagles open the 2026 season at home against the Cowboys on September 10. Watch the linebacker wearing No. 11. He is going to be a problem for opposing quarterbacks all season.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
