Former UDFA Reed Blankenship among Philadelphia Eagles' 8 captains for the 2025 NFL season

The Philadelphia Eagles announced their captains for the 2025 NFL season, with a total of eight selected, including three new additions.

Here is the list of the Eagles' captains for this fall, with the new guys in bold:

• QB Jalen Hurts
• RT Lane Johnson
• PK Jake Elliott
• WR A.J. Brown
• LT Jordan Mailata
• RB Saquon Barkley
• LB Zack Baun
• S Reed Blankenship

The first five names are pretty self-explanatory, and so is Saquon Barkley, who is new to being a captain in Philly but spent five seasons leading the New York Giants.

I think safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Zack Baun are the more intriguing and well-deserved additions to their team captains' lineup.

The Eagles Initially Overlooked Zack Baun

A former New Orleans Saints 2020 third-round pick, the Eagles signed Baun to a one-year, $3.5 million deal in NFL free agency last March.

Philly had initially looked at Baun as an extra depth piece at the linebacker position, but once defensive coordinator Vic Fangio moved him from outside linebacker to inside linebacker, Baun quickly became a key contributor to their defense.

Through 16 starts with the Eagles last season, Baun racked up career highs across the board with 3.5 sacks, one interception, four pass breakups, five forced fumbles, 11 tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and 151 total tackles. Those numbers earned him his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod in four seasons. He was also nominated for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. 

The Eagles rewarded his breakout season by re-signing him to a new three-year, $51 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid linebackers in the league.

Baun currently leads a relatively young linebackers unit that needs his mentorship more now, with Nakobe Dean injured to start the season.

Reed Blankenship Went Undrafted in 2022

With the Eagles' secondary being so young without Darius Slay or CJ Gardner-Johnson, Blankenship brings that much-needed veteran presence to the room.

Blankenship has a compelling underdog story, having joined the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022. After a standout training camp, he was one of only three UDFAs to make the Eagles’ roster as a rookie that year.

By 2023, Blankenship had earned a full-time starting role in the secondary. He started 15 of 17 games, leading the team with 108 total tackles, while also recording 11 passes defended, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He remained a reliable asset in 2024, tallying 78 tackles, four interceptions, six pass breakups, and another fumble recovery during the regular season. He added another 27 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery as the Eagles marched to their Super Bowl LIX victory.