The Philadelphia Eagles are 3-0 on the year and have a big-time game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. This week, Philadelphia placed OLB Nolan Smith, CB Jakorian Bennett, and WR Darius Cooper on Injured Reserve.
The Eagles also listed LB Zack Baun as a DNP for Wednesday's practice, and he was seen with a brace on his left leg. Despite not participating in practice, Baun said he's "good," per Eagles beat reporter EJ Smith of PHLY Sports. That suggests he could be on the field in Week 4, and they are just taking the precautionary approach.
Zack Baun Says He’s “Good” Following DNP Designation on Wednesday
It's unclear how serious Baun's knee injury is or when the injury even happened. He leads all Eagles linebackers in total snaps (187), as he's played in 100% of the defensive snaps in all three games. That time on the field has translated into production as Baun is tied for first on the team in total tackles (22) with one TFL, three pass deflections, and one interception.
According to PFF, he has an 88.8 overall grade (6th among 123 graded LBs), a 71.3 run defense grade (38th among 123 graded LBs), and an 80.7 coverage grade (10th among 123 graded LBs). Through three games, Baun continues to look like a stud in the middle of the field, which is huge, considering he was an All-Pro in 2024.
It'll be interesting to see if Baun's able to practice in any capacity this week. Traveling to play the Bucs is a tall task, even though they could be without Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans. We know this as the Eagles are 1-4 against Tampa Bay in the Nick Sirianni era, giving them all the necessary momentum to look to flip the script this Sunday.
In addition to Baun being sidelined on Wednesday, LB Jihaad Campbell (Triceps) was also a non-participant in practice, leaving the very real possibility that the Eagles could be without their top two LBs in Week 4. This is partly why Baun's comments need to be taken with a grain of salt. Players always say they are "fine" or "good" when they suffer an injury. It's the competitive nature in them that always wants to suit up and play.
The next couple of days will determine if Baun is healthy enough to play. If the team doctors conclude that he can injure himself further by playing, then Baun will be on the sidelines. This injury is something to monitor leading into the game, but Baun appears to be confident that he will be on the field against the Bucs.