NEW ORLEANS — Zack Baun and C.J. Gardner-Johnson have played plenty of games in the Caesars Superdome.
But they’ve never experienced one like they will Sunday, when they and their Philadelphia Eagles teammates face the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in their former home stadium.
The New Orleans Saints drafted Baun in the third round in 2020 and Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round in 2019.
Baun immediately found a significant role on special teams, but never had a consistent place in the Saints’ linebacking corps, so he left in free agency after last season. Gardner-Johnson made 31 starts in three years in New Orleans’ secondary, but couldn’t come to terms with the organization as his rookie contract was about to expire, and he was traded as the 2022 season was getting started.
Both have been key players in Philadelphia’s push to the championship, especially Baun, who was one of the most improved players in the NFL this season.
Baun’s significance to the Eagles was demonstrated at Media Night on Monday on the floor of the Superdome. He was one of 12 Philadelphia representatives placed on a riser to accommodate excess media attention while the rest of the team was scattered about in smaller gaggles on the turf.
“I was just looking for an opportunity,” Baun said of his experience in free agency. “That’s all I ever wanted. I knew nothing would be given to me. I had to work for a spot.”
Baun likened his pro career to his college career at Wisconsin, in which he played very little in his first two seasons then jumped from 2.5 sacks to 12.5 sacks in his third and final season.
In Philadelphia, he’s earned a spot as a starter — and has shown throughout the season why he was deserving of it.
After starting a total of 14 games on defense in New Orleans, Baun started 16 this season. He had 151 total tackles and 93 solo tackles, 63 more total tackles and 33 more solos than he had during his Saints career. He entered the year with two career sacks and tallied 3.5 this season.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was the position coach of New Orleans’ famed “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps in the 1980s. He didn’t expect Baun to equal Pro Football Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills, or the quartet’s other standouts in Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson, but he did like what he saw on film when Philadelphia was evaluating the free agent.
“I just thought he could be an inside linebacker off the ball,” Fangio said. “That’s not what he played (in New Orleans). He didn’t hardly play at all (with the Saints). He exceeded my expectations.
“I’ve really enjoyed Zack Baun. He’s done a hell of a job for us. He’s had a great season. Pro Bowl, obviously, got a great future.”
Gardner-Johnson was acquired from New Orleans along with a seventh-round draft choice from the Saints in exchange for a fifth-rounder and a sixth-rounder. He made six interceptions on Philadelphia’s last NFC championship team in 2022 despite missing five games due to injury.
He signed with Detroit before last season and returned to the Eagles on a three-year contract in March. Gardner-Johnson went on to duplicate his six interceptions of 2022, and Philadelphia duplicated its conference championship.
–Les East, Field Level Media
