WATCH: Darius Slay drops truth bomb on Eagles player being the 2024-25 NFL defensive player of the year

Darius Slay didn’t hold back when talking about Eagles linebacker Zack Baun and the Defensive Player of the Year race. According to Slay, Baun is getting straight-up disrespected. Why? Because his name isn’t “Roquan Smith,” “Bobby Wagner,” or “Fred Warner.” And honestly? He’s not wrong.

Before we dive into Slay’s comments, let’s point out one thing: Zack Baun isn’t flying completely under the radar. On Wednesday, the man himself snagged Pro Football Focus’s Breakout Player of the Year award.

PFF gave him a ridiculous 90.1 overall grade for the 2024 season—the second-best mark among all linebackers. Yeah, SECOND BEST. The numbers don’t lie, folks.

Baun’s been balling out, and the tape backs it up. So how is this guy not in the DPOY conversation already? Make it make sense.

Darius Slay on the NFL defensive player of the year

Darius Slay Believe if Zack Baun should EASILY be DPOY if his name was “Roquon Smith, Bobby Wagner or Fred Warner” he would be DPOY 2 weeks ago pic.twitter.com/Hv41icISqb

— YouTuber: Eagle AL (@kb_973) January 14, 2025

Zack Baun has put himself in rare company this season, becoming the first NFL player since 1999 to record over 150 tackles and force 5 or more fumbles in a single year.

He’s been the heartbeat of the Eagles’ defense, leading the unit with 150 tackles (92 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles, 4 passes defended, 3.5 sacks, and two takeaways—one interception and one fumble recovery. Simply put, the guy is everywhere.

Awards Are Great, But the Super Bowl is the Goal

As Eagles fans, the Lombardi Trophy is all that truly matters. But hey, seeing some of our players rack up individual awards along the way? That would be the cherry on top. And how wild would it be for Zack Baun—a guy nobody thought twice about when Howie Roseman signed him as a project player—to end up snagging Defensive Player of the Year?

For years, we’ve joked (and ranted) that Howie doesn’t care about linebackers. But now? Baun is not just proving himself as one of the best in the NFL—he’s making a case as the best defensive player in the league.

That’s insane when you think about it and if Baun does bring home the DPOY hardware, Howie will have no choice but to back up the Brinks truck.

No Baun, No Chance

The Eagles can’t afford to lose Baun. With Nakobe Dean out, we need a linebacker we can trust—not some guy plucked off the practice squad. That’s why today’s report about bringing back Nick Morrow had me breaking out in cold sweats. We’ve seen that movie before, and it doesn’t end well.

Anyways, shoutout to Darius Slay for using his platform to hype up Baun. That’s what leadership looks like—take notes, Micah Parsons. Slay didn’t just stand up for his teammate; he made sure the league knows what we all see here in Philly. Zack Baun deserves this.

Fly Eagles Fly.

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