For the second time this season, the Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to play a game in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. But this time, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Earlier in the year, Philly secured a 15-12 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. This time around a win would be far more significant. The biggest game of the season will also serve as a homecoming for four key members of this franchise.
Two players and two coaches... All have deep ties to the New Orleans Saints but have found their home in the nest.
Some spent years in the city. Others enjoyed brief but impactful stints that shaped their careers. Now, as they prepare to battle for a Lombardi Trophy, they’ll do so on a field that holds personal history for each of them.
Zack Baun’s breakout season comes full circle in New Orleans.
Linebacker Zack Baun began his NFL career in New Orleans. Drafted by the Saints in 2020, he was primarily a special teams player in his first three seasons. He has found a new home in Philadelphia in 2024. Let's just say he thrived.
That change of scenery sparked a breakout campaign. He became a finalist for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. Now leading the team in tackles with 177 (including playoffs), he has also racked up 13 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.
His breakout season has made him one of the most valuable free agents in the upcoming offseason, but before that, he has one more game to play—on the very field where his NFL journey began.
Eagles All Pro Zack Baun posted this to his IG. The Eagles are training at the Saints facility this week. Zack and CJ Gardner Johnson were drafted by New Orleans and came to the Eagles from the Saints. Pretty wild for them to be training there and see themselves around the… pic.twitter.com/hSjbuo5TvU
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 3, 2025
C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s journey back to Philly… and New Orleans.
Few players bring as much energy and swagger to a defense as C.J. Gardner-Johnson has added to Philadelphia. Drafted by the Saints in 2019, he quickly made a name for himself as a playmaker and an elite trash-talker.
Howie Roseman then brought him to Philadelphia originally in 2022. He played a key role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl run that season, left for a one-year detour with the Detroit Lions, and returned home
Howie Roseman then brought him to Philadelphia originally in 2022. He played a key role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl run that season, left for a one-year detour with the Detroit Lions, returned home, and hasn’t missed a beat.
Leading the team with six interceptions—tied for third-most in the NFL—Gardner-Johnson will now take the field in New Orleans once again, this time in a Super Bowl showdown.
Vic Fangio’s coaching roots trace back to the Saints’ Dome Patrol.
Before he became one of the NFL’s most respected defensive minds, Vic Fangio got his start in New Orleans. Joining Jim Mora’s staff in 1986 as the Saints’ linebackers coach, Fangio was instrumental in developing the legendary 'Dome Patrol' defense.
His 11-year tenure in New Orleans laid the foundation for his decorated coaching career. Now, decades later, he returns to the Superdome as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, leading a unit that will be tasked with slowing down Patrick Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs offense.
Doug Nussmeier’s New Orleans connection runs deeper than you think.
Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier may not be the most recognizable name on this list, but his ties to the Saints go back nearly three decades. A fourth-round draft pick by New Orleans in 1994, Nussmeier played with the team until 1997 before transitioning to coaching.
This season, he followed Kellen Moore from the Chargers to Philadelphia, helping guide Jalen Hurts and the offense. Adding another layer to his connection, his son, Garrett Nussmeier, is currently LSU’s starting quarterback and a frontrunner for the 2025 Heisman Trophy.
A Super Bowl showdown with a little extra meaning.
Returning to the Caesars Superdome for the biggest game of the season, the Eagles have a chance to win a Super Bowl in a stadium tied to their past. Zack Baun, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Vic Fangio, and Doug Nussmeier all have connections to New Orleans that make this matchup even more meaningful.
Each of them will take the field with personal history in mind, but their focus remains on bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to Philadelphia. Their Super Bowl homecoming adds another compelling storyline to what promises to be an unforgettable showdown.