Why Zack Baun's Time With Eagles Could End Sooner Than Later

Each passing game brings the two sides closer to a potential split.

It might be time to start thinking about what the Eagles' defense could look like without Zack Baun around. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's not quite a fire sale yet.

But what the Eagles and general manager Howie Roseman have already begun doing is show they won't wait long to see if the 2026 team has any moxie. If their five-year playoff run is coming to a close, you can rest assured the organization will be proactive in its response.

First, it was Lane Johnson retiring on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Eagles traded center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens in a deal that included a second-round pick in 2028. A team that many picked to be in the playoffs lost two starting offensive linemen in a 24-hour period.

It feels almost unfathomable that the Eagles would consider moving on from any other players on their roster. They are, after all, just 2-2 on the year. They aren't 0-4 or 1-3, but an average 2-2. Sure, they haven't played well, but this is a roster that notoriously starts seasons slow.

That's what made the Jurgens trade so shocking. It was an immediate move to get younger and healthier along the offensive line.

This week's Cam Jurgens trade might have started the process of the Eagles reassessing the futures of other veterans in Philadelphia. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But what's stopping them from trading away other high-priced talent that may not be available for their next run of dominance? Could Dallas Goedert be next? Riq Woolen? Moro Ojomo?

The Eagles may not be done, and as their gauntlet begins, they have more decisions to make. What happens next with linebacker Zack Baun is one of them.

Why Zack Baun could be a potential trade candidate

While Jurgens was the player moved this week, Baun may end up being an unlikely casualty if things continue to go sideways for the organization. The two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro has been a revelation since arriving in Philadelphia in 2024, working as a key catalyst for the defense to be among the best in the league.

But with a contract that expires at the end of the 2027 season, Baun's time in Philadelphia could end up ending sooner rather than later.

He's 30 years old and will be on the wrong side of 30 over the next few seasons. While it's true that Baun hasn't taken as much of a physical pounding as other career off-ball linebackers, it also doesn't hide the fact that Father Time waits for no one.

The Eagles might want to get ahead of a potential regression from Zack Baun by tradin him before November's deadline. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Philadelphia is getting younger on the offensive line, some of its aging starters on defense could end up heading out as well.

Baun, being among the oldest, could be next. That is, if Roseman ends up blowing up the current iteration of the team.

Roseman slams door on rebuild

Speaking to reporters after trading Jurgens to Baltimore, Roseman made one thing clear: Philadelphia was not tanking. The Eagles are still pushing for a playoff berth in 2026.

"Nothing has changed in terms of our goals. We're trying to win this year," Roseman said (h/t The Athletic's Zach Berman). "You want to have an extended run, and so my job is to look at how we can have sustained success for a long period of time, and you don't get many opportunities to get second-round picks in trades and get flexibility."

In Howie-speak: he's essentially saying that while the Eagles will try to compete for the playoffs this season, they also want to protect themselves for the future.

And if the losing continues, that mindset could shift again. Other aging players could find themselves on new teams.

Baun, despite all the dominance he has brought, may end up being next by default.

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