The Philadelphia Eagles continue to insist that no fire sale is underway, even as a three-game losing streak has invited outside speculation about their direction heading into the trade deadline.
Organization officials maintain that the team still has a strong stretch in it once injuries heal, and the wide-open NFC East offers a realistic path back to the playoffs.
Yet the recent departures of longtime right tackle Lane Johnson and center Cam Jurgens—the latter sent to Baltimore for a future second-round pick—have fueled talk that general manager Howie Roseman could look elsewhere if the struggles persist.
One name drawing attention is linebacker Zack Baun. Eagles On SI’s Nick Faria has argued that Baun could become a trade candidate if Philadelphia decides to accelerate a reset.
“He’s 30 years old and will be on the wrong side of 30 over the next few seasons,” Faria wrote. “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.”
He added that if the Eagles are 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.”
Baun’s value makes any such move complicated.
After signing a modest one-year deal in 2024, he delivered an All-Pro season with 151 tackles, earned a second Pro Bowl nod the following year, and played a key role in the Super Bowl LIX victory.
He is now under a three-year, $51 million contract that runs through 2027.
Through the early portion of 2026 he has recorded 36 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three pass deflections, though a recent concussion briefly sidelined him. When healthy, he remains a top-tier inside linebacker and the primary on-field communicator for Vic Fangio’s defense.
Roseman has pushed back on any notion of a full rebuild.
After the Jurgens trade, he told reporters, “Nothing has changed in terms of our goals. We’re trying to win this year,” while noting the need to balance present competition with long-term flexibility.
For now, Baun is too important to move while the Eagles remain in contention. Should losses and injuries continue to mount, however, the logic of exploring a deal for the 30-year-old becomes harder to dismiss.
Teams seeking an immediate upgrade in the middle of their defense are already watching closely.
