From Special Teams To Defensive Stars, Eagles Linebackers Seize Opportunity

PHILADELPHIA – The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX with a pair of linebackers who carved their NFL resumes as standout special teamers. They waited for their opportunities, and when they came, they seized the moment.

Those linebackers, of course, are Zack Baun and Oren Burks. Baun’s opportunity came sooner than Burks, but when Nakobe Dean went out for the rest of the season with a knee injury in the wildcard round of the playoffs, Burks made sure he wasn’t the reason the Eagles couldn’t forge onward.

“The dude’s a freaking baller,” said Baun about Burks. “He’s a smart football player, always gets the ball out. I can’t say enough good things about him. The thing is he’s an even better person.”

So his Baun, of course, and he keeps adding to the riches he will receive in his next contract by making plays all over the field.

In Sunday’s NFC Championship Game rout of the Washington Commanders, Baun had 12 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Burks had nine tackles, forced a fumble, and made one of the Eagles’ three sacks. In two-plus games since taking over Dean, Burks has19 tackles, four tackles for loss, a pass breakup on a critical third-and-10 late in the win over the Rams, and a sack.

“I feel like I always believed I could do it,” said Burks. “I just needed the opportunity. Most of my career has been up and down, a lot of special teams. Throughout all that, I just wanted to grow, to get better. You don’t see the praise and everything, but I fell in love with the process and finding ways to get better. Then you have guys around you that believe in you, coaches that believe in you, that goes a long way.”

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks (42) against the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

This is Burks’ second straight trip to the Super Bowl. He played in the Big Game last year with the 49ers, logging 90 percent of the snaps after starter Dre Greenlaw suffered a torn ACL on a freakish play during the game.

Asked to compare the two situations, Burks said: “We’re winning, so that’s one thing. But it’s just a special group here. I’ve ben super-excited for the guys here. They embraced me. I was a guy coming in (during the offseason as a free agent) and they already had a culture set. Just tried to add value. It’s been awesome to be a part of this team.”

A lot of NFL linebackers make their bones on special teams, staying patient, improving, waiting for an opportunity.

T.J. Edwards did that. He got better and worked his way into a starting role in the Eagles last trip to the Super Bowl after the 2022 season. His running mate in that game was Kyzir White, who didn’t play much special teams.

The Eagles won it all after the 2017 season with Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham as their starting linebackers. Kendricks had only one season where he played more than 100 special team snaps while Bradham played a lot of special team snaps early in his career in Buffalo, but also saw plenty of defensive snaps, too.

“I know I’ll look back on my career and (going to the Super Bowl) back-to-back doesn’t just happen,” said Burks. “It’s been super special. This is a great locker room and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

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