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Big news! The Philadelphia Eagles and Zack Baun agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract extension with $34 million guaranteed, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.
The Eagles originally signed Baun to a one-year deal in March 2024 to see what he can do. The former special teamer blew all reasonable expectations out of the water and was able to have an awesome season, earning first-team All Pro honors and winning a Super Bowl.
Baun stated several times towards the end of the season that he wanted to be in Philly long term. He said he appreciated the way the organization embraced him and made him feel included from the very first day. Still, the linebacker knew that his value had increased a lot in the year since last signing with the Eagles.
The LB recorded 151 total tackles, five forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, and an interception during the regular season alone, and in the postseason led the league with 33 total tackles and two more interceptions, not to mention his forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. It was a year of career-highs and franchise firsts, and it was about time that Howie Roseman finally committed the resources to the linebacker position now that they had one of the best in the league.
Baun not only grew into a team leader, but when Nakobe Dean got sidelined again with a season-ending injury, Baun stepped up and took over the green dot helmet. He took on a lot of responsibility communicating with the sideline and guys on the field, and developed really quickly. He’s earned this opportunity to continue to build on the solid foundation he set in 2024, and hopefully have much more success in the years to come.
More on Baun from our recent Eagles linebacker outlook article, which was titled “the Eagles should do what it takes to keep Zack Baun”:
REVIEW: No one expected Baun to be as awesome as he was in 2024. Not even Baun himself. But he was excellent from the jump with a big Week 1 performance and he kept it rolling from there. Despite lacking extensive experience in his role, Baun was an elite off-ball linebacker who made impact plays on a weekly basis, including his diving pick in the Super Bowl. He proved capable of contributing in all phases. He was incredibly stout as a run defender. He was able to provide pass rushing juice. He looked as smooth as a defensive back in coverage. Baun was very deserving of his first-team All-Pro honors and he arguably should’ve received more attention for Defensive Player of the Year, where he finished with the fifth-most votes.
OUTLOOK: Baun is currently set to be a free agent next week. The Eagles don’t have a history of spending significant resources at off-ball linebacker but they also don’t have a history of letting elite players walk out the door. Keeping Baun is a no-brainer; BGN’s Jonny Page wrote at length about how he’s the team’s most important defender. Baun’s likely looking at somewhere between $15 million and $19 million per year but he’s worth the investment. He’s going to be 29 this season but it’s not like he has a ton of mileage on him after playing sparingly during his first four NFL seasons. The idea that the Eagles can easily find a new version of Baun is a pretty wild assumption. Reports indicate that the team views signing him prior to free agency as a priority. As it should be. No need to overthink this. Baun was one of the very best players on the team last year and he should be back. If the Eagles let him walk, what do they even have at linebacker? Burks is also set to be a free agent and Dean is going to miss time next season. Pay the man.
Baun’s annual value comes in at $17 million, which split the difference in the range we expected. He is now the fourth-highest paid player at his position on a yearly basis, only behind Roquan Smith, Fred Warner, and Tremaine Edmunds.
Something tells me Eagles fans are pretty happy with this extension.
