Eagles All-Pro LB Zack Baun Could Face Significant NFL Punishment
For anyone watching the Week 8 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants, the gruesome injury suffered by rookie running back Cam Skattebo in the first half will be impossible to forget.
The repercussions from Skattebo’s injury will also be hard to shake.
For the Giants, it almost certainly puts the final nail in the coffin of their playoff hopes after they dropped to 2-6 with a 38-20 loss to the Eagles.
Skattebo was quickly becoming one of the team’s offensive centerpieces alongside rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart after the Giants already lost superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers to a torn ACL in Week 4.
For the Eagles, it could mean a significant punishment for one of their star defensive players for his role in Skattebo’s injury — and a lifetime of vitriol from Giants fans for NFL All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun, who executed an illegal hip drop tackle on Skattebo.
“Baun’s move appeared to be a hip drop tackle, but it wasn’t called on the field,” Heavy.com’s Anne Erickson wrote on October 26. ” … The injury happened during a pass attempt in the second quarter of the game. During the play,
Hip Drop Tackle Banned by NFL in 2024
The hip drop tackle was banned by the NFL in March 2024 with the hopes of preventing injuries exactly like the one sustained by Skattebo. That means Baun could be facing a significant fine.
From NFL.com: “A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.”
Hip drop tackles, when flagged, result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down. Fines for a hip drop tackle are $17,389 for a first offense and $23,816 for a second offense.
Baun has previously been fined for a hip drop tackle, getting clipped for $8,888 for a hip drop tackle against the Washington Commanders in December 2024.
In 2024, Baun came out of nowhere to become one of the NFL’s best defensive players after he signed a 1-year, $1.6 million contract with the Eagles.
He earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time, helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win and parlayed all of that into a 3-year, $51 million contract in March.
Skattebo’s Injury Leaves NFL Fans Reeling
Skattebo’s injury was so disturbing the Fox Sports broadcast quickly cut away to a commercial break and did not show replays of the injury when they came back.
“It has taken all of the air out of what is typically a really raucous atmosphere,” Fox Sports play by play analyst Kevin Harlan said following the injury. “Just a devastating and tough scene challenging the Giants moving forward.”
Eagles fans — not the most welcoming group of people to opposing players — gave Skattebo a standing ovation as he was carted off the field to the locker room.
“Very classy from Eagles fans, giving Cam Skattebo a standing ovation as he has taken off on a cart to the locker room after a gruesome injury,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on his official X account. “He gave a thumbs up to the crowd.”
Raiders Predicted to Add 628-Yard, 8-Touchdown WR for Geno Smith
It’s been a rough year for the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that had some expectations entering the year. Sitting in fourth place in the AFC West, the Raiders are currently 2-5, and things don’t look like they’re going to get much better anytime in the near future.
It’ll be interesting to see the direction the organization takes over the next year or so, but it’s obvious that if Geno Smith is going to be the quarterback long-term, the Raiders have to find some better weapons around him.
When searching for ways to do that, PFN predicted that the Raiders would select a wide receiver with a top 10 pick. They had the Raiders selecting Jordyn Tyson out of Arizona State with the seventh overall pick, with Tyson being the top-rated wide receiver on many boards as of now.
“The Raiders could go with offensive line help here, but with Jakobi Meyers set to leave in 2026 and rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton failing to produce, Las Vegas might need to target a bona fide WR1 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“At around 6’1″, 195 pounds, Tyson downsizes a touch from Meyers, but Tyson’s three-level dynamic ability is near-unmatched in the 2026 class. He’s a fluid and instinctive separator, an acrobatic catch artist, an explosive vertical presence, and a venerable RAC weapon,” Ian Cummings wrote.
Why Should Raiders Pursue Jordyn Tyson in the NFL Draft?
Taking a wide receiver in the top 10 typically doesn’t go as well as some teams expect it, unless a player is a true star. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN also believes that the Las Vegas Raiders and other teams wouldn’t be wrong for selecting him in the top 10, naming him the eighth-best player in the country entering this upcoming draft.
“The Colorado transfer has teamed up with quarterback Sam Leavitt to light up defenses for two seasons now. Tyson’s superpower is being open even when it looks like he’s completely blanketed. It makes him essentially uncoverable in the red zone. He wins on 50-50 balls and outmuscles defensive backs. His 116 receiving yards after first contact rank inside the top 20 nationwide,” he wrote.
The Raiders Need to Bolster Their Receiver Group
It’s important that the Las Vegas Raiders find a wide receiver.
It was reported a few days ago that the team could look to move on from Jakobi Meyers, but even if he doesn’t get traded, he’s set to hit the free agency market at the end of the year, and after his trade request in the offseason, it seems like he’ll leave when he has a chance.
Even if they were to add a player of Tyson’s caliber, it’s also crucial that Las Vegas goes out and tries to find a veteran. Some of the players on the roster have loved what Meyers has done, stating that he’s been a great veteran to have around.
“Jakobi has been awesome. I was really telling him how thankful I am of him this past weekend, just of all the mentoring that he’s given because I said, ‘You know, you didn’t have to do that’. He doesn’t have to help the young guys,” Bech said. “You hear a lot of stories about young guys coming into rooms where vets don’t really help them out. ‘Kob and Tre (Tucker) have been nothing short of awesome to me and Dont’e, just helping us learn and grow each and every day when we come in here,” Jack Beech said.
