Zack Baun opens up on how Eagles overcame mid-season doubts to reach NFC championship

Zack Baun has been one of the most important additions for the Philadelphia Eagles defense in a long time. The linebacker signed as a cheap free agent during training camp but his new role under Vic Fangio's defense saw him blossom, earning a First-Team All-Pro recognition.

Baun, like the entire Eagles defense, stepped up their game midway through the season. After a poor 2-2 start, Philadelphia returned from their Week 5 bye week re-energized, and the team flew into a 14-3 record, the NFC East title and the second seed in the conference.

In a conversation with Chris Long on Thursday, Baun spoke about how the Eagles overcame mid-season doubts to reach the NFC Championship.

"Man, even during training camp, it was like 'I don't know what this defense is gonna be'. Do we have the right pieces? We got dawgs, but like, is this the right fit for this style that we want to play?" Baun said on Green Light with Chris Long. "And it wasn't until week five bye when it would click for us, like 'let's really grind at this and understand what Vic wants us to do'. And from there, we had, like, 10,11, straight wins, and we were off."

This has been a monumental season since Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took over. In 2023, Philadelphia allowed the third-most points in the regular season; this season, they are the second team that allowed the least points, behind only the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Zack Baun's contract: How much is the Eagles linebacker making this season?

After a free agency period where he wasn't a hot commodity, Baun took a chance on a new role with the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal to play a new position and learn from Fangio.

Throughout his career, he always played as an outside linebacker. He was considered undersized for the position and switched to inside linebacker at his new home. With a First-Team All-Pro indication, it's safe to say that Baun made the right decision to change positions.

He will be a free agent after the 2024 season and there is reported interest from a contract extension with the Eagles. After a great season from the linebacker, the values involved will be much higher, but that's totally deserved.