If Zack Baun misses Week 4? ‘Trot was born ready'

It's looking more and more likely that Zack Baun will miss Week 4, but Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is ready to fill in.

By Dave Zangaro • Published October 2, 2026

With All-Pro Zack Baun likely sidelined with a concussion for Sunday’s game against the Rams, the Eagles are expected to turn to Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

How ready is the young Axe Man?

"Trot was born ready,” fellow linebacker Jihaad Campbell said. "Whether he’s got to play or not, at the end of the day, he always practices like a pro, he always takes notes and studies like a pro. He’ll be fine.”

Trotter, 23, has technically started two NFL games before but both of those had little actual meaning. He started in Week 18 against the Giants in 2024 and Week 18 against the Commanders in 2025.

This situation is a little bit different.

The Eagles on Sunday afternoon are facing a desperate Rams team that has put up 480+ yards of offense in back-to-back weeks and are led by Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and more — not to mention an offense that uses a ton of eye candy to constantly put linebackers in conflict.

It’s not going to be easy on Sunday.

"We definitely see a lot of boots on film,” Trotter said. "Mess with the line, they try to mess with your read. But as long as your eyes are in the right place and you understand your responsibility and your role as far as the one piece out of 11 guys, you’ll be fine. You just have to slow the game down and make sure your eyes are good and get back to fundamentals.”

The Eagles used a fifth-round pick back in 2024 to select Trotter out of Clemson. Many knew Trotter Jr. as the son of former Eagles great Jeremiah Trotter, but Young Trot has been making a name for himself in the organization. 

He had a tremendous training camp this summer and was one of the Eagles’ standout players. There just wasn’t a starting spot available for him because Baun and Campbell were clearly ahead of him on the depth chart.

"Trot is very instinctive, very quick,” Campbell said. "He knows how to dissect an offense and communicates very well, gets off of blocks very well, gets to the ball very well. Everything that he does is good. Trot is a great player, great linebacker.”

A big part of Baun’s weekly responsibilities is to be the green-dot player on defense who relays the play calls in the huddle. As of Thursday, Trotter said wasn’t sure if that responsibility will fall on him this week. 

But if it does, he’ll be ready.

"It’s going to be something we gotta adjust to,” Trotter said. "It’s not that different. Just gotta get the call and relay it to everybody else. It’s stuff that you prepare for in practice and have to make sure you’re ready for.”

Even though he was clearly going to be a backup this season, Trotter still got a lot of first-team reps this summer. The Eagles spend a lot of time working different linebacker combinations for this exact scenario. Because Trotter is clearly the next guy in, the Eagles wanted him to be comfortable with either Baun or Campbell.

And this week, with Baun sidelined, Trotter is getting all those first-team reps next to Campbell. Those are very valuable.

This is a big opportunity for Trotter to prove to the rest of the NFL that he’s a starting caliber player.

"You definitely don’t want to see a teammate get hurt, but at the same time, as everybody knows, it’s next-man-up mentality,” Trotter said. "I’ve got to make sure I’m ready so if I go in there, I’ve got to make sure I’m doing my part to help the team win. You don’t want to step into a role and be a liability out there. I’m going to make sure I’m prepared just like every single week and make sure if I go in there, I’m doing my part.”

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/jeremiah-trotter-jr-zack-baun-rams-week-4-jihaad-campbell-starter/755718/