The Packers’ injury pileup at linebacker has pushed Zack Baun into the spotlight as a trade deadline fit that makes a lot of sense.
With the NFL deadline arriving Tuesday afternoon, Green Bay is coming off a 45-27 win over New England and sitting at 6-3, but the defense has been hammered by injuries. Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Hargrave are out for the season, Zaire Franklin has missed several games with a hairline fracture in his shin, and Ty’Ron Hopper is now dealing with a chest injury.
That has left the Packers scrambling. Special teams standout Nick Niemann has been asked to step in at “linebacker,” while Jack Dingle remains on the practice squad and doesn’t look like the best long-term answer. Kristian Welch is on the main roster as a linebacker, but the Wisconsin native has mostly been used on special teams.
One possible solution sits in Philadelphia: Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.
The Eagles reportedly traded defensive tackle Jordan Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which only adds to the sense that Green Bay should at least check in on Baun’s availability.
It would be a homecoming move with some real appeal. Baun is a Milwaukee native who played college football at Wisconsin before the Saints took him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent his early NFL years in New Orleans before landing in Philadelphia ahead of the 2024 season.
Since then, Baun has built a strong résumé. He’s a Super Bowl champion, a two-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro from 2024.
Philadelphia brought him back before the 2025 season, and he’s currently playing on a cap hit of $1.22 million. With bonuses already factored in, the Packers would be responsible for roughly $607,500 for the rest of the season, according to the Over the Cap calculator.
The financial side is manageable now, though 2027 would bring an $11.85 million cap hit that Green Bay would need to sort out later. Still, the production is hard to ignore. Halfway through the 2026 season, Baun has 65 tackles, two sacks and five passes defended, putting him on pace to match or top his 2025 Pro Bowl year.
Those 65 tackles would rank second on the Packers right now, behind only Evan Williams’ 76. The timing also lines up neatly. A trade might not get Baun on the field this week, but with the bye coming up, the fit would be awfully convenient.
As for the price, Green Bay has about $6.5 million in cap space. Some around the league might prefer the Packers to swing bigger and go after someone like Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis, another Wisconsin alum who could help a shaky rushing attack.
But Baun looks like the cleaner target, and probably the cheaper one in terms of acquisition cost. A 2027 Day 2 pick could be enough, maybe with a late-round pick attached. The Packers are projected to have 11 picks next year, including four compensatory selections, though they won’t have a first-rounder because of the Micah Parsons trade.
It would cost draft capital, no question. But with Parsons nearing a return and the offensive line starting to settle in, adding Baun could give Green Bay’s defense exactly the kind of boost it needs.
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