5 Surprise Eagles Heroes Who Have Carried the Team to 3-0

4. Zach Cunningham

Losing Nakobe Dean for at least a month to a foot injury suffered in Week 1 was a big blow to an Eagles defense that was already thin at the off-ball linebacker spot, but Zach Cunningham has done his best to make sure we’re not lamenting that absence.

Even before we get into his production, how many plays have you really watched this season and even remembered that we were missing Dean?

Is it easier to play linebacker behind a defensive line as good as Philly’s? Of course. But that doesn’t mean we could’ve replaced Dean with just anyone, and Cunningham deserves a lot of credit for his contributions.

He didn’t get a ton of opportunities in Week 3 (how’s a linebacker going to make a tackle when a running back can’t even get past the defensive tackles?), but he’s still second on the team in total tackles this season with 16, having recorded at least 4 in every game.

Sean Desai is asking Cunningham to handle an every-down role that he hasn’t really played since he did it in 2020 for the Houston Texans, and the veteran offseason acquisition has more than risen to the occasion.

Cunningham won’t be a household name any time soon, but there’s no denying his impact.