'He'll knock the piss out of you' - Philadelphia Eagles' Zack Baun gets the respect he deserves from the rest of the league

"He's a thumper. He'll knock the piss out of you now," Baun's former teammate and current New Orleans Saints center Eric McCoy said.

Baun's journey to making it on this list is one for the history books.

The Eagles signed the former New Orleans Saints 2020 third-round pick 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 topped off his breakout season by re-signing him to a new three-year, $51 million contract, which now makes him one of the highest-paid linebackers in the league.

re-signing All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun a priority earlier this month, inking him to a new three-year, $51 million contract, which made him one of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL.