Eagles $51 Million Man Named No. 3 At His Position

The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best linebackers in the National Football League, which would've been a massive shock last year.

Philadelphia signed Zack Baun last year after being a role player for years with the New Orleans Saints. There weren't high expectations for him heading into the 2024 season and yet he dominated in his first season in Philadelphia and was named to the First-Team All-Pro. No one saw that coming and now a year later Baun is ranked as the No. 3 off-ball linebacker in the National Football League, as shared by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"No. 3. Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles," Fowler shared. "Highest ranking: 2 | Lowest ranking: Unranked
Age: 28 | Last year's ranking: N/A. Baun is emblematic of what's great about the NFL: a role player making $3.5 million one year can earn a $51 million deal the next, thanks to an unexpected star turn. Opportunity met untapped talent when Baun joined Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Vic Fangio's scheme was ideal for Baun, once a rotational linebacker in New Orleans who earned All-Pro honors thanks to 151 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 11 tackles for loss. He also appeared on nearly 90 percent of the ballots.

"As one NFC exec noted, Baun didn't get a lot of defensive snaps in New Orleans (301 in 2023), so he seized the opportunity when given a full run in Philly. His 41% run-stop win rate was first among linebackers in this top 10. 'Finally came into his own,' an NFC executive said. 'He's such a versatile defender that can affect the game in multiple ways that his strength was potentially hindering him from reaching his ceiling early on in his career. Instead (in 2024), he really mastered stacked ILB and was able to build up that foundation to take advantage of his athletic ability and playmaking.'"

What a difference a year makes.