NEW ORLEANS — The sights are all too familiar for Zack Baun this Super Bowl week.
So much has changed in Baun’s life in just one year’s time. From facing an uncertain future in the NFL to betting on himself and becoming a All-Pro linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles, the journey started in New Orleans.
For four years, Baun tried to make it in the NFL with the Saints. He was seldom used on defense and essentially an afterthought by the time his tenure ended in New Orleans.
As Baun returns to the city that took a chance on him for Super Bowl LIX, what changed in just one year’s time? How did a rotational (at best) contributor turn into a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and one of the best players in the league?
“I blame a lot of it on myself and getting in my own way,” Baun said. “They had great coaches and this was a great city, I just got in my own way.”
A change of scenery was what Baun needed when he came to Philadelphia, but it was more than switching addresses. The Eagles took the chance that Baun was out of position and could be a successful off-ball linebacker — and they were right.
“I think when I was here (in New Orleans) I didn’t know what I was,” Baun said. “I didn’t know if I was an off-ball linebacker, on-ball backer. I just knew it didn’t necessarily feel right, so I wasn’t getting it right away. Time ran its course, and I just continued to work on my craft. Work on my craft to get better at all things.”
Baun took a chance and decided not to return to New Orleans, signing with the Eagles to a one-year deal. He bet on himself and won, becoming the third player since 2000 with 150-plus tackles and six-plus forced fumbles in a season (Derrick Brooks in 2000 and NaVorro Bowman in 2013 were the others). Baun was the first player since tackles were officially recorded in 1987 to have 150-plus tackles, five-plus forced fumbles, four-plus passes defensed and three-plus sacks in a season (Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin matched him a week later).
The success didn’t come as a surprise to Baun. He knew what he needed to fix.
“Physically, I knew I had the capability to be a pretty good player,” Baun said. “It just took me a while to get going mentally to transition for different positions on defense and try to get used to coverages, schemes and fits. I knew I had the tools, but it was just getting in the right situation and being in the right place to do it.”
Why did Baun choose the Eagles over everyone else? What put Philadelphia over the top?
“They were right around me in free agency as soon as it opened up,” Baun said. “They had a vision for me. They said I had an opportunity to make an impact on the team. That’s really all I wanted to do.”
The Eagles were in a state of reckoning. Baun thought he could fix it.
“When I got to Philly, I could feel the heartbreak and the uncomfortableness of what was going on,” Baun said. “What they had experienced last year, obviously I wasn’t here to experience that myself. But immediately, I could tell this team was on a mission.”
The Eagles ended up being the perfect fit for Baun, who made the most of his opportunity after receiving some astute advice from fellow linebacker Oren Burks, who signed with Philadelphia after him. Burks was a special teams ace with the Green Bay Packers who took a similar chance for an expanded role with the San Francisco 49ers.
“You can go one of two ways. You can bet on yourself and take a one-or-two year deal and say I’m gonna try and play linebacker or you can say I’m gonna be a special teamer,” Baun said. “We both bet on ourselves to play linebacker. It’s just not losing faith on yourself and betting on yourself.”
Baun is now just one win away from completing a dream season — in the city where it all began.
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Author: Jeff Kerr
February 4, 2025 | 8:45 pm
