The 2024 NFL season marked a major year of influence for the University of Wisconsin’s impact on the player talent pool of professional football. Super Bowl LIX concluded this year on a high note, featuring two Wisconsin alumni — Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal and Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.
Eagles linebacker Baun entered the game looking to cap a breakout First-Team All-Pro year topped by his first Lombardi trophy. On the other side, Chiefs linebacker Chenal looked to command a stout defensive and special teams performance to secure his third straight Super Bowl victory.
Baun’s position as middle linebacker meant he was tasked with the covering assignment of former All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Along with covering Kelce, Philadelphia relied on Baun to lead their defensive unit as a play-caller and be responsible for the middle of the field in zone coverage.
The fifth-year linebacker stepped up to the task and helped the Eagles’ defense hold the Chiefs to 23 yards of total offense and a shutout through two quarters of play. Baun also successfully took Kelce out of the game, holding him to zero receptions in the first half for the first time in the veteran tight end’s postseason career.
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Baun’s Super Bowl performance was highlighted by one play with under two minutes left in the second quarter. Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes dropped back to pass deep in his own territory. Baun sat in zone coverage over the middle of the field following the eyes of Mahomes.
As Mahomes released his pass, Baun tracked the ball and made a diving interception, which took the life out of the Chiefs and helped provide a 24-point lead for the Eagles going into halftime.
Chenal, on the other sideline, was assigned the job of helping the Chiefs front seven neutralize Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley. The fourth-year pro helped keep the elusive running back in check, holding Barkley to 57 rushing yards, his second-lowest total of the season.
But Jalen Hurts and the high star-powered Philadelphia passing game dissected the Kansas City secondary and Chenal was unable to make an impact.
The Eagles’ dominance in the trenches was evident through the first half. The Philly front four got home on the quarterback easily with just a four-man rush. This left seven defenders dropping back into coverage, making the two first-half interceptions by Cooper DeJean and Baun easy.
Though Barkley was largely shut down through the first half of play, the Chiefs still needed to stack the box to respect the potential of a big Barkley run. This allowed for Eagles pass catchers AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert to match up in single coverage on the perimeter and exploit less help side zone coverage.
After an electric halftime performance by rapper Kendrick Lamar, the Chiefs came out of the blocks without much spirit. The Eagles put a dagger through the heart of Kansas City fans late in the third quarter when Hurts found Smith on a deep ball in the end zone, putting the Eagles ahead 34-0.
Chenal concluded his Super Bowl day with four tackles in his efforts at linebacker and special teams. Chenal recorded 60 total tackles, three forced fumbles and a blocked kick in his 2024 season, making a huge impact for the Chiefs on special teams and earning praise as an alternate Pro-Bowler.
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Baun ended the game leading the Eagles in total tackles with seven, a pass deflection and an interception. This Super Bowl performance put an exclamation mark on a stellar season in which Baun tallied 151 total tackles, five forced fumbles, a Pro Bowl nod and was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
The 28-year-old linebacker heads into this offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and after his monumental 2024 campaign, there’s no doubt that several teams will be trying to land Baun. As for Chenal, he heads into year four with Kansas City looking to make a big impact defensively and on special teams during a contract year.