The Philadelphia Eagles landed 2 players on the NFL All-Pro Team announced on January 10. Both were in their first year with the franchise and both earned the honor for the first time in their careers.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was named NFL All-Pro after becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. Inside linebacker Zack Baun was named NFL All-Pro after signing a 1-year, $1.6 million free agent contract with the Eagles and switching positions in the process.
Barkley famously signed a 3-year, $37.75 million free agent contract with the Eagles after the New York Giants deemed the price for the star running back too high. Barkley was selected No. 2 overall by the Giants in the 2018 NFL draft.
The Eagles finished the season with a 14-3 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs, where they’ll host the Green Bay Packers in an NFC Wild Card Game on January 12.
Barkley missed out on being named a unanimous All-Pro by just 2 votes, receiving 48 out of 50 first place votes. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry received the 2 votes that didn’t go to Barkley.
Only Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson were unanimous selections.
The Eagles placed an additional 3 players on the NFL All-Pro second team with offensive tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
Baun Becomes All-Time Bargain for Eagles
Philadelphia’s deal with Baun becomes one of the all-time great bargains in franchise history and owes a lot to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s decision to move Baun from outside linebacker, where he spent the first 4 seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints, to inside linebacker.
Baun filled up the stat sheet unlike any other player at his position with 151 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, 1 interception and 1 fumble recovery.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder encouraged the Eagles to sign Baun to a long-term extension late in the season.
“The 27-year-old joined Philly on a modest one-year, $1.6 million contract this past offseason,” Holder wrote on November 25. “He has significantly outplayed that deal and become one of Philadelphia’s centerpiece defenders. He has flashed while chasing down ball-carriers, rushing the quarterback and in coverage. The do-everything linebacker is likely to cash in with a significant contract should he reach the open market. The Eagles shouldn’t allow him to get there.”
Barkley Came Just Short of Dickerson’s NFL Record
Barkley had a real shot at breaking Los Angeles Rams running back Eric Dickerson’s single-season NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards but chose to sat out the regular-season finale against the Giants in a game that had no impact on playoff seeding.
Barkley finished the season with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and averaged 5.8 yards per carry. He also had 43 receptions for 278 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. The former Penn State star’s signature moment of the season was also possibly the most viral moment of the entire NFL season — a backwards hurdle over an opposing player in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9.
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Eagles RB Saquon Barkley Denied Unanimous NFL All-Pro Nod