Big Money Baun

Christmas came early this year. Eagles fans had one huge wish for the offseason. Please find a way to keep Zack Baun. Well, Howie listened.

Breaking: Eagles are re-signing All-Pro LB Zack Baun to a three-year, $51 million contract, including $34 million guaranteed at signing and additional $1.5 million in incentives and escalators, per sources. The contract instantly makes Baun one of the highest-paid LBs in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/n7zkzIgwcD

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2025

Hell yes. I am a happy man.

I remember watching Baun’s press conference after he signed with the Eagles. I was very impressed with how professional he was. He also seemed “real”, like he could be your neighbor who is an accountant or is a sales rep for some company.

Then we found out the Eagles would play him at ILB. That got me more curious than excited. We then heard reports of him looking good in practice. After watching bad LB play in 2023 it was hard not to get fired up at the thought of a good LB. I did get excited after watching him play. There was still a question of just how good he was. I sure didn’t expect him to be an All-Pro. But that’s just what happened.

Zack Baun is staying in Philly pic.twitter.com/lHMK9bUCdF

— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2025

Baun had an amazing season. He led the team with 151 tackles. He added 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 5 FF and 1 INT. He wasn’t just a tackling machine, Baun was a playmaker. He was just as good in the postseason, making even more big plays. His pick of Patrick Mahomes late in the first half of the Super Bowl helped put that game out of reach.

Baun was just as good off the field. He proved to be the kind of leader that Vic Fangio needed for his defense. Baun could get fired up and emotional, but could also stay focused and be all-business.

One of the things that made Baun so good was his versatility. He could line up on the LOS and give the offense a different look. He could go cover in the flat. He could stay in the middle and stuff inside runs. He also showed the ability to run with receivers down the seam. Baun could do it all.

There were some skeptics who thought Baun would sign elsewhere. The Eagles don’t traditionally pay big money to off-ball linebackers. Baun had a great season and might be going for the biggest offer. He is 28 years old and won’t have another big contract after this one. This was going to be Baun’s chance to cash in.

Apparently Baun decided that sticking with the Eagles was important to him. He had great teammates and a brilliant defensive coordinator. He played on the best defense in the league and just won a Super Bowl. Baun might have gotten a bit more money on the open market, but he probably wouldn’t have been as happy. Luckily he decided to stay.

As for the Eagles, they normally don’t throw big money at LBs because there are usually questions. Will the player fit the scheme? Is he a good teammate/leader? Can the player be a difference-maker? The Eagles knew the answers to these questions so this didn’t feel like a risky move to them. There isn’t a lot of mystery.

Age is probably the biggest issue with Baun. LBs don’t tend to age well. At the same time, Baun wasn’t an ILB in New Orleans and he wasn’t a starter so there isn’t the same level of wear ‘n tear on him. This feels like a limited risk and one that is sure worth taking.

Extending Saquon Barkley and re-signing Zack Baun were probably the biggest moves of the offseason. When you have star players, you can focus on keeping them happy and not chasing players from other teams as much. There is still the possibility of trading for Myles Garrett, but that doesn’t feel likely to me.

The offseason is off to a phenomenal start and the Eagles haven’t added anyone from outside. How crazy is that? They will make moves, but Howie did stress the need to be patient. Don’t expect a bunch of movement early next week. It might happen, but the Eagles may have to sit back and let other teams go chasing the hot free agents. The Eagles will likely be more measure with their plans and moves.

Thank you Howie. And thank you Zack!

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