It’s the 100-year anniversary of the National Football League this coming September, and what better way to celebrate that than to rank the 100 greatest players in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles?
It’s not necessarily a list of the most popular players in Eagles history. Having a great nickname helps. And scoring a touchdown in a memorable game helps. But I also weighed heavily the time the player spent with the franchise. Those who were in Philly for six to eight years had much more opportunity to make a positive contribution than those who were with the team for a year or so.
If you’ve been following me on Twitter, I’ve been tweeting out the list as I go. I made some slight modifications to my original list, but here’s my complete list below. Remember that I only factored in what the player did while a member of the Eagles. I looked at your usual stats like yards, touchdowns scored, sacks/interceptions for defensive players, plus Pro Bowls, All-Pros, and other accolades. Playoff performance obviously helped as well.
100. Irv Cross, CB, 1961-1966, 1969
Stats: 83 games, 16 INT, 9 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
Before he became a well-known analyst for CBS, Irv Cross was a solid cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles who will go down as one of the best seventh-round picks in team history. Cross had multiple interceptions in each of his first five years with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl in ’64 and ’65 before he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a wonder he lasted as long as he did, considering he suffered enough concussions early on that his teammates began calling him ‘Paper Head.’ But Cross was remarkably durable, not missing a single game in his final five seasons with the Eagles.
99. Duce Staley, RB, 1997-2003
Stats: 4,807 rushing yards, 22 rushing TD, 2,498 receiving yards, 10 receiving TD; 7,305 scrimmage yards, 32 total TD
Duce Staley was a perfect fit for Andy Reid’s West Coast offense, as he could handle a full workload as a runner and also catch passes out of the backfield. He was a thick, heavily-built running back who was tough to bring down but also a smooth receiver.
For the five-year span from 1998 through 2002, Staley was one of only four backs in the NFL to accumulate over 4,000 rushing yards and 2,000 receiving yards. His 201 rushing yards in the opening game of the 2000 season stood as a franchise single-game record until LeSean McCoy broke it in 2013.
98. Tom Woodeshick, RB, 1963-1971
Stats: 3,563 rushing yards, 21 rushing TD, 126 receptions, 1,175 rushing yards, 6 rec TD; 4,736 scrimmage yards, 27 total TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Tom Woodeshick was a 225-pound bruising fullback at a time when Eagles’ Hall of Fame center Jim Ringo weighed just seven more pounds, and he (Woodeshick) played more regular season games (111) than any other Eagles running back ever. Woodeshick’s peak corresponded with the dreaded Joe Kuharich era in the late 1960s; at a time when the team averaged four wins over a three-year span, Woodeshick at least put up respectable numbers as an offensive threat. He and Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly were the only running backs with three consecutive 1,000 scrimmage yard seasons from ’67-’69.
97. Michael Vick, QB, 2009-2013
Stats: 20-20 record, 59.5 comp pct, 9,984 passing yards, 57 TD, 33 INT, 87.7 passer rating; 1,998 rushing yards, 15 rushing TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 2010 AP Comeback Player of the Year
Leave it to Andy Reid to take the gamble of signing Michael Vick back into the NFL after a two-year dogfighting sentence. After being used sparingly in 2009, Vick took over as the starter in 2010 after Kevin Kolb was injured (earning the starting job within one start) and played the best football of his career. He threw for 21 touchdowns to just six interceptions, unofficially finishing second in the NFL MVP voting and winning the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award. That earned him a $100 million deal with the team, one for which he ended up playing three more seasons in Philly.
And have you ever in your life seen a game like the one Vick turned in on Monday Night Football against Washington? He threw four touchdowns and ran for two more, and then just 34 days later, led the Eagles on an unbelievable 21-point comeback against the New York Giants. Vick even ran the Chip Kelly offense to near-perfection in the 2013 season opener, although he eventually lost his starting spot to Nick Foles when a hamstring injury sidelined him for several games.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Vick’s time in Philadelphia was that he genuinely became a good citizen and a role model.
96. John Bunting, LB, 1972-1982
Stats: 132 games, 8 INT, 6 fumble recoveries
In the Super Bowl era, only one other linebacker played in more games for the Eagles than John Bunting did. Not bad for a former 10th round pick. In over a decade with the team, he recorded eight career interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Bunting had a seven-yard tackle for a loss of Cowboys running back Rod Springs on the second offensive play of the 1980 NFC Championship Game, leading to a Dallas punt and Wilbert Montgomery’s subsequent 42-yard touchdown run to kickstart a 20-7 Eagles victory.
95. Bobby Thomason, QB, 1952-1957
Stats: 18-23-2 record, 50.0 comp pct, 8,124 passing yards, 57 TD, 80 INT, 61.2 passer rating
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
Quarterback was a little different back in the 1950s. So when Bobby Thomason threw for 2,462 yards and a league-leading 21 touchdowns in 1953, that was actually really good. Thomason made three Pro Bowls in just six seasons as a starter with the Eagles. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand how he earned his final Pro Bowl selection (1956), especially considering he threw four touchdown passes to just 21 interceptions.
94. Keith Byars, FB/TE, 1986-1992
Stats: 2,672 rushing yards, 17 TD, 371 receptions, 3,532 receiving yards, 13 receiving TD; 6,204 scrimmage yards, 30 total TD
Honors: Philadelphia Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team
The Randall Cunningham era Eagles didn’t always have the idealistic offensive weapons, but Keith Byars was a valuable component who would have fit well in today’s game. Byars lined up everywhere from halfback to fullback to wide receiver to tight end and even threw the ball for six touchdowns in his professional career. Just four running backs in league history have caught more passes than Byars’ 610, and when he retired, he actually held the all-time record for his position.
93. Calvin Williams, WR, 1990-1996
Stats: 295 receptions, 3,840 receiving yards, 34 receiving TD
The Eagles spent a third-round pick on Calvin Williams to replace the void created when they released Cris Carter. Williams caught nine touchdowns in 1990, setting a franchise rookie record. In his first four years with the Eagles, the only wide receivers across the league with more touchdown receptions than Williams’ 29 were Jerry Rice (52), Andre Rison (48), Sterling Sharpe (34), and Haywood Jeffires (30).
92. Darren Sproles, RB, 2014-2018
Stats: 1,265 rushing yards, 12 rushing TD, 169 receptions, 1,435 receiving yards, 5 receiving TD, 6,718 all-purpose yards, 21 total TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion (2017)
GMs don’t usually trade for 31-year-old running backs, but Howie Roseman shipped a fifth-round pick to New Orleans for Darren Sproles in the spring of 2014 and it will go down as one of the greatest trades in Eagles history. Sproles made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in Philadelphia, excelling as a change-of-pace back, multidimensional threat, and electrifying punt returner (franchise-record four punt return touchdowns). The man who is sixth on the NFL’s all-time list in all-purpose yards has been a valuable weapon for the Eagles and hopefully will return for one more season in 2019.
91. Wade Key, G, 1970-1979
Stats: 121 games
Honors: Philadelphia Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team
For a decade, Wade Key was an integral part of the Eagles’ offensive line, helping to keep Norm Snead, Roman Gabriel, and then Ron Jaworski standing upright. Key fought through an array of injuries, still starting 115 games, primarily as a left guard. When he retired, only the great Chuck Bednarik had started more games on the offensive line for the Eagles.
90. Norm Snead, QB, 1964-1970
Stats: 28-50-3 record, 51.6 comp pct, 15,672 passing yards, 111 TD, 124 INT, 67.7 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
You got a lot of interceptions with Norm Snead, who led the league twice in his seven years with the Eagles and topped 20 four times. But he also passed for over 15,000 yards and 111 touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl after the 1965 season. Snead’s 29 touchdown passes in ’67 were a total that only four quarterbacks had ever topped in a year.
89. Connor Barwin, LB, 2013-2016
Stats: 64 games, 31.5 sacks, 214 tackles, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Connor Barwin was a Chip Kelly signing who worked out pretty well. In four years in Philadelphia, he didn’t miss a game, starting all 64 and making the Pro Bowl after a 14.5-sack campaign in 2014. Most incredibly, those 14.5 sacks came in a span of 11 games. He had a three-sack performance against the Giants in a 27-0 shutout and then 3.5 sacks against the Carolina Panthers in a game in which Mark Sanchez started at quarterback with Nick Foles sidelined. Barwin was a locker room leader and a sack specialist, and it’s unfortunate the Eagles didn’t keep him around for their Super Bowl championship team in 2017. Side note: Will he be on the 2019 Eagles?
88. Corey Simon, DT, 2000-2004
Stats: 78 games, 32 sacks, 210 tackles, 9 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
You might expect more than five seasons from a player picked sixth overall in the NFL draft, but during his tenure with the Eagles, Corey Simon was an integral part of the defense. His 9.5 sacks in 2000 are more than any other Eagles rookie has ever registered in a season aside from Reggie White, and Simon started 78 of 80 games over a five-year span. During Simon’s Philly career, the Eagles allowed the fewest points per game in the entire NFL; in the year after he left, they jumped to 27th.
87. Jeremy Maclin, WR, 2009-2014
Stats: 343 receptions, 4,771 receiving yards, 36 rec TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
During his six years in Philly, Jeremy Maclin turned in production that ranked him among the better first round picks in team history. He finished his time in Philadelphia with 343 receptions (10th), 4,771 receiving yards (10th), and 36 touchdowns (seventh), earning a Pro Bowl selection after 2014. Maclin overcame quite a lot during his stay with the Eagles, notably a lymphoma scare (2011) and a torn ACL (2013) before signing a $55 million deal in free agency to be reunited with Andy Reid in Kansas City.
86. Jerry Robinson, LB, 1979-1984
Stats: 87 games, 6 INT, 4 fumble recoveries, 11 sacks, 2 defensive TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
The Eagles drafted Jerry Robinson in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft and he became a star by year two. Robinson started all 16 games, registering two interceptions and four fumble recoveries, including one that he ran back 59 yards for a score. He added a key fumble recovery in the conference championship game win over the Dallas Cowboys. In all, Robinson played six years in Philadelphia, recording 17 takeaways, plus three more in the playoffs.
85. Brent Celek, TE, 2007-2017
Stats: 398 receptions, 4,998 receiving yards, 31 receiving TD
Honors: Super Bowl champion (2017)
There aren’t many Eagles players whose careers spanned from the Donovan McNabb to Carson Wentz era, but Brent Celek pulled it off. A fan favorite in Philadelphia, Celek played in 175 games all with the same team – only three Eagles ever played in more. He caught a touchdown in the legendary 44-6 blowout win over Dallas in 2008, two more in the conference championship game loss to Arizona, and started the Miracle at the Meadowlands comeback in 2010 with a 65-yard touchdown reception. Amazingly, he only missed one game due to injury in his 11-season career (and it was on a Thursday), playing through a torn shoulder labrum, double groin tears, and a sports hernia over the years. And Celek is still in the Eagles record book for most catches during a single postseason (19 in 2008).
84. Terrell Owens, WR, 2004-2005
Stats: 124 receptions, 1,963 receiving yards, 20 rec TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro
Terrell Owens was only in Philadelphia for 22 games, but a legitimate case could be made for him as the most polarizing athlete in the history of the city. After three consecutive NFC Championship Game losses, T.O. was the wide receiver the team needed to get over the top. He caught three touchdowns in his first game with the Eagles and a franchise-record 14 in 14 games before breaking his leg on a now-illegal horse collar tackle, and then the rest is history.
There was the Super Bowl, T.O.’s 9/122 performance, the offseason remarks, the sit-ups, the holdout, and then the suspension that ended his tenure in Philadelphia. We can only speculate what would have happened had he stayed with the Eagles, but even a season-and-a-half is enough to put him on this list.
83. Michael Lewis, S, 2002-2006
Stats: 76 games, 9 INT, 386 tackles, 6 fumble recoveries, 6 sacks
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Andy Reid completely overhauled the Eagles’ secondary in the 2002 draft, getting Lito Sheppard, Michael Lewis, and Sheldon Brown in the first two rounds. Those three combined for 217 starts in the defensive backfield plus 46 interceptions and three Pro Bowl selections. Lewis was the first of the trio to become a full-time starter, teaming with Brian Dawkins to give the Eagles a dynamic safety duo. Lewis’ Philly career ended a little abruptly when lost his starting job to Sean Considine (remember him?) midway through the 2006 season, but still, he gave the Eagles four to five strong years.
82. Fred Barnett, WR, 1990-1995
Stats: 308 receptions, 4,634 receiving yards, 28 rec TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Freddie Barnett and his 4.42 speed was one of Randall Cunningham’s favorite targets, hauling in over 300 catches in six years with the Eagles. Twice he topped 1,000 yards, making the Pro Bowl after the 1992 season. He provided the city with one of the all-time great memories, hauling in a 95-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham, who famously eluded Bruce Smith in the end zone on the play. He also caught a pair of touchdown receptions in the team’s 1992 NFC Wild Card win over New Orleans, the Eagles’ first playoff win in 12 years.
81. Jermane Mayberry, G, 1996-2004
Stats: 112 games
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Jermane Mayberry’s greatest gift as a player was his ability to line up at multiple positions on the offensive line – throughout his nine-year career with the Eagles, he made starts at every spot except for center. Mayberry became a regular at right guard and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2002. Perhaps the crowning achievement of that offensive line was their collective performance against Arizona in Week 11. After Donovan McNabb broke his ankle and stayed in the game, Mayberry and the offensive line didn’t let a defender touch McNabb for the remainder of the contest, let alone record a sack.
80. Roynell Young, CB, 1980-1988
Stats: 117 games, 23 INT, 4 fumble recoveries
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Roynell Young had one of the finest rookie seasons of any player in team history. The team’s first-round pick in 1980, he started all 16 games, recording four interceptions, and then picked off three more passes in the postseason. His career spanned from the ’80 Super Bowl to the Fog Bowl, and in between, only six other cornerbacks recorded as many starts (109) and interceptions (23) as Young.
79. Shawn Andrews, G, 2004-2008
Stats: 50 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
Shawn Andrews’ career in Philadelphia was brief – too brief. He broke his leg in his first-ever NFL game, missing the team’s Super Bowl run. And he missed nearly all of 2008 with depression and a back injury that eventually derailed his career. Even bringing in his brother, Stacy Andrews, to play on the offensive line next to him had no positive effect on extending his career.
But for the three years in which Andrews did suit up, he could flat out play. He made the Pro Bowl twice, once earning a First-Team AP All-Pro selection. Pro Football Focus charged him with allowing just a single sack across 2,052 offensive snaps from 2007-’08. That’s Hall of Fame production, and it’s a travesty his career only lasted 50 games in Philadelphia.
78. Brandon Brooks, G, 2016-2018
Stats: 46 games
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion (2017)
Howie Roseman’s signing of Brandon Brooks legitimately could go down as one of the best free-agent signings in team history. Brooks has been a godsend on the offensive line since coming to Philadelphia, starting 46 of 48 games over his first three years and helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl in 2017. His role was especially valuable with the Eagles losing their bodyguard, Jason Peters, early in ’17. Brooks suffered a devastating Achilles injury in last year’s playoff game and his departure made an immediate impact on the Eagles’ offense, as they didn’t score for the rest of the game.
77. Chad Lewis, TE, 1997-2005
Stats: 228 receptions, 2,349 receiving yards, 23 rec TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
Chad Lewis was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but root for. He was a walk-on in college at BYU, an undrafted free agent with the Eagles, and he parlayed that into a nine-year career in Philadelphia. Lewis had just 19 catches in his first three years, even briefly leaving to earn a ring with the 1999 St. Louis Rams, then broke out in a big way with a 69/735/6 receiving line for the 2000 Eagles. With a receiving corps that consisted of James Thrash and Todd Pinkston, Lewis became McNabb’s trusted target, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections. Lewis’ final contribution with the Eagles was catching a pair of touchdowns in the 2004 NFC Championship Game, the second of which actually broke his foot and forced him to miss the Super Bowl.
76. Todd Herremans, G, 2005-2014
Stats: 127 games, 2 rec TD
Todd Herremans was the perfect offensive lineman for Andy Reid, a coach who always liked to have linemen who could play multiple positions. Like Jermane Mayberry, who he essentially took over for, Herremans played everywhere from the blind side to left guard to right guard to right tackle. He battled through a slew of injuries throughout his career to start 124 games on the offensive line, even twice catching touchdown passes on tackle-eligible plays (side note: why has Jason Peters never been used this way?).
75. Irving Fryar, WR, 1996-1998
Stats: 222 receptions, 3,067 receiving yards, 19 rec TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
The Eagles didn’t get Irving Fryar until he was nearly 34 years old, but they still got his best football out of him. Fryar was a former No. 1 overall pick who took some time to get acclimated to the NFL and overcome his personal demons, but he was a star in his three years with Philadelphia.
In his first year with the team, Fryar set a new franchise record with 88 receptions, hauled in 1,195 yards, and set a personal best with 11 touchdown catches. And he did that with largely a quarterback carousel of Ty Detmer and Rodney Peete. He was even better in 1997, posting a 86/1,316/6 statline. His numbers trailed off in 1998, but with Bobby Hoying starting nearly half the games, how could they not? In all, Fryar started all 48 games in Philadelphia and averaged over 1,000 yards per season. He’s the oldest player in Eagles history to haul in 1,000 receiving yards in a year, and believe it or not, he still holds the NFL record for most receiving yards (1,316) by a player aged 35 or older.
74. William Fuller, DE, 1994-1996
Stats: 46 games, 35.5 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
William Fuller was a handful of star players who spent exactly three seasons for the Eagles in the mid-1990s (Ricky Watters and Irving Fryar are the others). Fuller was signed to try to replace Reggie White/Clyde Simmons – is there a harder thing to do than replace two players who each finished their careers with over 100 sacks?
Fuller’s days in Philadelphia were short, but he averaged 12 sacks and four forced fumbles per season, and made the Pro Bowl every year. That’s tremendous production, especially from a guy who was 32 when he signed the three-year contract. At one point, Fuller set a new Eagles record with at least one sack in seven consecutive games, and he sacked Steve Young twice (once for a safety) in the 40-8 upset rout of the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.
73. Frank LeMaster, LB, 1974-1982
Stats: 129 games, 10 INT, 7 fumble recoveries, 3 TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Frank LeMaster should go down as one of the better off-the-ball linebackers in franchise history. He was a fourth-round pick in the 1974 NFL draft and then never missed a game in his nine year career, all with the Eagles. LeMaster recorded 17 takeaways, scored three times on defense, helped the Eagles to the 1980 Super Bowl, and made the Pro Bowl the following season.
72. Floyd Peters, DT, 1964-1969
Stats: 70 games, 2 INT, 3 fumble recoveries
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
It’s difficult to get a good read on a player like Floyd Peters, when we don’t have extensive game film from his time in the mid-to-late 1960s and the NFL didn’t even track sacks as an official statistic for another 15 years. Still, what we can see is that Peters spent six years with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl in three of those. The only defensive tackle in franchise history to earn more Pro Bowl berths is Fletcher Cox.
71. Marion Campbell, DT/DE, 1956-1961
Stats: 71 games, 2 INT, 8 fumble recoveries
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1960)
You might recognize Marion Campbell as the mediocre coach who presided Buddy Ryan in the mid-1980s. But did you know Campbell was actually a star defensive lineman who delivered an NFL championship to the Eagles in 1960? Campbell is listed as having played defensive tackle, defensive end, and ‘middle guard,’ so we can assume he was a versatile defensive presence who could line up everywhere. He made a pair of Pro Bowls as a player and spent six years with the team in all.
70. Ricky Watters, RB, 1995-1997
Stats: 3,794 rushing yards, 31 rushing TD, 161 receptions, 1,318 receiving yards, 1 rec TD; 5,112 scrimmage yards, 32 total TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
History won’t remember just how dominant Ricky Watters was in his three years with Philadelphia because of an unfortunate quote following his first game when he short-armed a pass and attempted to justify it. But aside from the ‘For who? For what?’ debacle, Watters was everything you could have hoped for in three seasons.
He suited up for all 48 games, averaging a 325/1,265/10 rushing line per year plus 50 catches and another 400 yards out of the backfield. Other than Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Terrell Davis, Watters’ 5,112 scrimmage yards from 1995-1997 were more than every running back in the league during that span.
69. Charle Young, TE, 1973-1976
Stats: 197 receptions, 2,583 receiving yards, 12 rec TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
In the Super Bowl era, only two Philadelphia Eagles players have started their careers with three straight Pro Bowl selections, and both played tight end (Keith Jackson is the other). Charle Young was the Eagles’ best offensive weapon from 1973-’75, but after a contract dispute in 1976, the Eagles eventually traded him to the Los Angeles Rams to obtain the rights to quarterback Ron Jaworski. During his four years with the Eagles though, Young never missed a start and averaged a 49/646/3 statline.
68. Lito Sheppard, CB, 2002-2008
Stats: 93 games, 18 INT, 460 return yards, 3 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
Lito Sheppard had a brief peak with the Eagles but he certainly had a penchant for making big plays. It was Sheppard who recorded a 102-yard interception return touchdown off of Drew Bledsoe in T.O.’s big return to Philly in 2006. Sheppard had also previously victimized Dallas for a 101-yard interception return score back in a Monday night game in 2004. And he recorded a tumbling end zone interception to save the game against Carolina, also on Monday Night Football. In just four primary years as a starter, Sheppard made multiple Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team.
67. Guy Morriss, C, 1973-1983
Stats: 158 games
For over a decade in a row, Guy Morriss was a rock at center for the Philadelphia Eagles. In an 11-year career with the team, he missed just a single game to injury and played a key role in helping the team to the 1980 Super Bowl. Morriss went on to play several years for New England after leaving the Eagles; when he finally retired, only five centers in the history of the league had started more games. That’s not bad for a guy who had only ever played tackle and guard in college.
66. Quintin Mikell, S, 2003-2010
Stats: 123 games, 10 INT, 444 tackles, 7 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
What a career Quintin Mikell had. He started his playing days with the Eagles as an undersized and undrafted free agent. Mikell parlayed his success as a special teams player (2005 and 2006 Eagles special teams MVP) into a starting strong safety spot and then a Pro Bowl selection in 2009, also twice earning second-team All-Pro honors. Mikell’s most memorable play was blocking a Nate Kaeding field goal attempt that Matt Ware returned 65 yards for a touchdown in 2005.
65. Sheldon Brown, CB, 2002-2009
Stats: 128 games, 19 INT, 431 tackles, 7 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 7 sacks
Andy Reid’s boldest move as head coach may have been to let Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor walk in free agency to replaced by Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, two players with no starting experience at the time. It worked well enough that the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in Brown/Sheppard’s first year as starters. Brown started six seasons in all for Philly, recording 19 interceptions and five defensive touchdowns, four of which went for over 60 yards and two for over 80. In 2008, he was one of only three cornerbacks in the league to play at least 900 snaps without allowing a single touchdown pass. And who can forget when Brown did this?
64. Andre Waters, S, 1984-1993
Stats: 137 games, 15 INT, 10 fumble recoveries, 910 tackles, 2 TD
Honors: Philadelphia Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team
The late Andre Waters was an absolute perfect fit for the ferocious Buddy Ryan defense. Along with Wes Hopkins, Waters patrolled the safety position, where his penchant for hard hits made him a fan favorite. Even though his efforts were never rewarded with a Pro Bowl selection, Waters led the team in tackles four years running and helped the Eagles earn playoff berths four times from 1988-1992. Waters wasn’t as big of a name as Reggie White, Eric Allen, or Seth Joyner, but you don’t get the great Eagles defense without him.
63. Randy Logan, S, 1973-1983
Stats: 159 games, 23 INT, 5 fumble recoveries
Randy Logan joined the Eagles in the dreary Mike McCormack era and stayed around long enough to play under Dick Vermeil and help the team to the 1980 Super Bowl. In all, Logan played every game for his 11 seasons, and his 159 consecutive games played streak trails only Harold Carmichael in Eagles franchise history. Logan picked off 23 passes in his career, recovered five fumbles, and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 1980.
62. Herman Edwards, CB, 1977-1985
Stats: 135 games, 33 INT, 6 fumble recoveries, 2 TD
If you’ve ever watched a shred of ESPN, you’ve undoubtedly seen the clip of Coach Herman Edwards saying “Hello! You PLAY to win the game!” And if you know your Eagles history, you know he was the defensive back who picked up the winning fumble in the Miracle at the Meadowlands game. But did you know he also holds the franchise record with 135 games started at cornerback? Edwards picked off 33 passes in a nine-year career in Philadelphia, which is impressive for a player who entered the league with 4.85 speed in the 40-yard dash.
61. Bobby Taylor, CB, 1995-2002
Stats: 119 games, 19 INT, 368 tackles, 5 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, 4 sacks
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Other than Brandon Browner (6’4”, 221), Bobby Taylor (6’3”, 216) might possibly be the largest cornerback in NFL history. No corner Taylor’s size has ever started as many games (109), which made Taylor a great fit to match up against Michael Irvin twice a year. He even won NFC Defensive Player of the Week as a rookie, helping to hold Irvin to a 3-40 statline, and then won the award again in the playoffs in the Eagles’ wild card win over Detroit.
Taylor’s best season as a pro came in 2002 – he started all 16 games, picked off five passes, knocked down 14, and recovered two fumbles. His 23-yard interception return for a score against Kurt Warner in Week 13 was the only score for either team (Eagles won, 10-3), and his 39-yard pick-six of Michael Vick in the playoffs catapulted the Eagles to a second straight NFC Championship Game appearance.
60. Vic Sears, LT/DT, 1941-1953
Stats: 131 games, 11 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
Honors: 2x NFL champion (1948, 1949), NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
Vic Sears was a classic two-way player back in the day. He lined up at offensive tackle but then turned around and played defensive tackle on the other side of the ball. In his Eagles Encyclopedia, Didinger writes that it is “widely assumed that Sears played more minutes on the field than any other player in team history.” Sears was a key member of the Eagles’ back-to-back championship squads in 1948 and 1949, and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1940s.
59. Bobby Walston, TE/K, 1951-1962
Stats: 148 games, 311 receptions, 5,363 receiving yards, 46 rec TD; 80 field goals, 365 PATs
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1960), NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team
Bobby Walston was a do-all player for the Eagles who didn’t miss a game over 12 years, once even playing through a broken jaw. Walston contributed as a wide receiver, tight end, and kicker, and he still ranks as the team’s second all-time leading scorer with 881 points. He made a lot of big plays, averaging over 17 yards per catch and finishing with 46 receiving touchdowns, a total that had been matched by only a dozen other NFL players at the time of his retirement in 1962. Walston even kicked for the team, twice leading the league in field goal percentage and earning inclusion on the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team.
58. Timmy Brown, RB, 1960-1967
Stats: 3,703 rushing yards, 29 rushing TD, 231 receptions, 3,346 receiving yards, 26 rec TD, 514 punt return yards, 1 PR TD, 4,483 kick return yards, 5 KR TD; 12,049 all-purpose yards, 62 total TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Timmy Brown was an absolutely electrifying playmaker who was a legitimate threat to score every time he touched the ball. He led the league in yards per carry once, twice he led the league in yards per touch, and twice he led the league in all-purpose yards. Brown once returned a kick 105 yards for a touchdown; another time, he became the first player ever with multiple kick return touchdowns in the same game
Brown would have been a ridiculously effective asset in today’s NFL where running backs are expected to catch passes and where they frequently even line up as slot receivers. There are only five running backs in history who caught at least 200 passes and averaged more yards per catch than Brown’s 14.46 – three of those players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And his 12,049 all-purpose yards are still a team record.
57. Lane Johnson, OT, 2013-2018
Stats: 80 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Super Bowl champion (2017)
If there’s one thing Chip Kelly did right, it was selecting Lane Johnson with his first-ever draft pick. Besides being arguably the most athletic offensive lineman who ever lived (how many 320-pounders run a 4.7 40-yard dash?), Johnson is a pretty darn good player. Right tackles don’t really make the Pro Bowl in today’s NFL, which makes Johnson’s two nominations so impressive. He’s twice been suspended for PEDs, which is concerning because a third one comes with a multi-year ban. But as long as Johnson can stay off the juice, he’s still got a bright future ahead of him. Johnson is only 29 years and a building block for the future of the Eagles’ offensive line.
56. Brandon Graham, DE, 2010-2018
Stats: 127 games, 42.5 sacks, 320 tackles, 16 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
Honors: Super Bowl champion (2017)
Brandon Graham’s career is a story of persistence and resilience and constantly overcoming adversity. Here’s a player who was said to be overdrafted in 2010, suffered an ACL injury and microfracture knee surgery early on, dealt with constant Earl Thomas comparisons, blocked us all on Twitter (myself included), learned a new position in a new defensive scheme, unblocked everyone on Twitter, and didn’t become a regular starter until his sixth season.
Since 2015 though, he’s ranked 10th, third, 11th, and first among edge rushers in QB hurries (per Pro Football Focus). His raw sack total may not match his number of hurries, but defensive ends who pressure the opposing quarterback, play the run very well, and start every game are worth a premium. He’s earned a third contract with the team that should tie him in Philly through 2021. And most impressively, Graham’s crowning accomplishment as a professional football player – he strip-sacked Tom Brady with the game on the line to win the Super Bowl.
Graham had an amazing Super Bowl performance. He was Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated defensive player. He picked up a sack, a forced fumble, two quarterback hits, and four pressures. It was defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz who made the critical decision at the end of the game to move Graham inside to defensive tackle where his speed beat guard Shaq Mason and forced the game-clinching sack fumble.
55. Asante Samuel, CB, 2008-2011
Stats: 56 games, 23 INT, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
When the Eagles signed Asante Samuel, he had a reputation as a big-play corner who made his mark by baiting opposing quarterbacks into throwing passes that he could intercept. The knock on Samuel was that he picked off a ton of passes but also gave up too many big plays.
The first part was true. The second part? Not really.
Samuel picked off four passes in his first season, leading the NFL with 24 passes defensed. He had a ridiculous nine interceptions in 2009, then seven in just 10 games in 2010 and three more in 2011. In total, he registered 23 interceptions in just 56 regular season games, and had two more in the playoffs, plus a pick-six. If you look at his coverage numbers per Pro Football Focus, he was as close to a shutdown corner as you’ll find. Including the postseason, here were Samuel’s numbers on 289 passes thrown his way: 55.7 completion percentage, 6.21 YPA, and an absurd 55.66 passer rating allowed. That’s Hall of Fame production.
54. Wes Hopkins, S, 1983-1993
Stats: 137 games, 30 INT, 16 fumble recoveries, 12 sacks, 1 TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro
The late Reggie White used to say Wes Hopkins was the best player on that famed Eagles defense. On a unit that also included White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, Eric Allen, and Andre Waters, that’s pretty high praise.
Hopkins played 11 years with the Eagles, recording 30 interceptions and another 16 fumble recoveries. He’s also the one who is credited with leading the defense in the famed ‘House of Pain’ game against Houston in 1991 – he broke Ernest Givins’ nose when Givins ran across the middle. That day, the Eagles sacked Hall of Famer Warren Moon four times and recovered five Houston fumbles in a 13-6 win.
53. Evan Mathis, G, 2011-2014
Stats: 56 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
Remember how much flack the Eagles took for their Dream Team in 2011? Vince Young, Ronnie Brown, Nnamdi Asomugha, Cullen Jenkins, and Jason Babin may not have given the Eagles the outcome management desired, but credit the organization for recognizing the potential of Evan Mathis.
After tearing up the Combine in 2005 (a 4.97 40-yard dash at 304 pounds and 35 bench reps), Mathis largely bounced around the league for six years, playing largely as a backup for three different teams. He became a full-time starter for Philadelphia in 2011, where offensive line coach Howard Mudd turned him into an absolute rock at left guard. Per PFF, these were Mathis’ yearly rankings among guards: first, first, first, and third. When a website that watches every play of every game rates you as a top-10 player for three years in a row, you’re a pretty good player.
52. Norm Willey, DE, 1950-1957
Stats: 92 games, 2 INT, 9 fumble recoveries, 2 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
Norm Willey, known as Wildman Willey, holds one of the most unbelievable yet unofficial records you’ll ever hear about. According to the local newspapers of the time, Willey once recorded 17 sacks in a single game, and they came against Charlie Conerly, a talented quarterback who went on to become a Hall of Fame finalist. In his book, The Eagles Encyclopedia: Champions Edition, Hall of Fame Philly sportswriter Ray Didinger says that Willey received an envelope with $170 in it – a $10 bonus for each of his sacks. It’s a shame Willey didn’t play during the modern era where sacks are actually tracked; still, if legend is true, this is one of the most amazing accomplishments ever.
51. William Thomas, LB, 1991-1999
Stats: 140 games, 27 INT, 886 tackles, 37 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 4 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
It’s surprising that William Thomas isn’t more frequently mentioned among the all-time greats in Eagles history. He was a standout linebacker who did a little bit of everything on the field. When he finished his career, Thomas was the only player in league history to accumulate at least 25 interceptions and 35 sacks; since then, the only other player to do it is Ray Lewis. Thomas’ most impressive accomplishment was intercepting seven passes in 1995 – he’s the only linebacker in the last 35 years to do so.
50. Bill Bradley, S, 1969-1976
Stats: 110 games, 34 INT, 9 fumble recoveries, 1 TD; 39.0 yards per punt; 953 punt return yards; 564 kick return yards
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Bill Bradley was a college quarterback who made the impressive transition to being an All-Pro defensive back in just his third NFL season. Bradley’s 1971 campaign is still one of the greatest seasons in franchise history; in his first year as a starter at safety, he led the league with 11 interceptions and 248 return yards, while also recovering two fumbles. That’s nearly a takeaway per game. To date, no Eagle has topped his 11 picks in a single year.
Bradley followed it up with nine more in 1972, at one point recording a remarkable 20 in a span of 23 games. He was the first player ever to lead the league in interceptions in consecutive seasons. Bradley also punted for three years and contributed as both a punt returner and kick returner.
49. Carson Wentz, QB, 2016-2018
Stats: 23-17 record, 63.7 comp pct, 10,152 passing yards, 70 TD, 28 INT, 92.5 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion (2017)
Just three years into Carson Wentz’s career, he’s already become a polarizing figure in Philadelphia. Is he the next Aaron Rodgers in terms of talent, someone who can regularly thread touchdown passes through double coverage and escape six-man pressures to rumble 15 yards for a first down? Or is already a broken quarterback who will be unable to overcome the ACL and fractured back that forced him to miss each of the last two postseasons?
The Eagles believe in Wentz enough that they extended him to the tune of a four-year contract that includes over $107 million guaranteed, which makes him the highest-paid signal-caller in league history. You can certainly see why. This is a quarterback who started all 16 games and set a rookie record for completions (379) in ’16. He followed it up by setting the Eagles’ single-season franchise record for touchdown passes (33) in just 13 games in 2017. And even through last year’s sudden return from a torn ACL and back injuries, Wentz still posted the third-highest completion percentage (69.8) and seventh-highest passer rating (102.2) in the league.
Only injuries can keep Wentz from eventually climbing into the top 10 or even top five on this list. Don’t forget, the Eagles don’t win that Super Bowl in 2017 without Wentz playing as well as he did through early December.
48. Alex Wojciechowicz, C/LB, 1946-1950
Stats: 48 games
Honors: NFL champion (1948, 1949), NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Alec Wojciechowicz was a true ironman back in the day when it was much more common for players to suit up on both offense and defense. Before Chuck Bednarik started at center and linebacker, you had Wojciechowicz doing it. In just five years with the Eagles, he led them to three NFL Championship Game appearances and a pair of titles. He was a good enough player that the Eagles voted him as one of the linebackers on the 75th Anniversary Team in 2007, ahead of notables like Jeremiah Trotter and Bill Bergey.
47. Tommy Thompson, QB, 1941-1950
Stats: 51.8 comp pct, 10,240 passing yards, 90 TD, 100 INT, 67.4 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 2x NFL champion (1948, 1949)
Did you know Tommy Thompson is one of only two NFL quarterbacks to win multiple championships and not be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Championships weren’t quite as big of a deal in 10-team leagues, but still, rings are rings are rings. For three straight years, Thompson was arguably the league’s best passer, leading the league in touchdown percentage in 1947, 1948, and 1949. He also contributed on defense, recording 12 interceptions as a safety and even handling the kick return duties to some extent.
46. Sonny Jurgensen, 1957-1963
Stats: 17-20-2 record, 54.4 comp pct, 9,639 passing yards, 76 TD, 73 INT, 79.1 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 1 All-Pro, Pro Football Hall of Fame
It’s no easy task taking over for a legend, but that was Sonny Jurgensen’s task. After Norm Van Brocklin won league MVP in 1960 and led the Eagles to an NFL championship win, he retired and left the quarterbacking duties to Sonny Jurgensen. It’s safe to say Jurgensen responded pretty well – he started all 14 games, led the NFL in completions and set new league records in passing yards (3,723) and touchdown passes (32).
Jurgensen only spent three years as the primary starter for the Eagles before he was traded to Washington. Still, his impact can’t be understated. His team record for passing yards stood 27 years until Randall Cunningham broke it in 1988. Remarkably, his 32 touchdown passes (in just 14 games) stood as a team record for over 50 years until Carson Wentz broke it in 2017.
45. Stan Walters, OT, 1975-1983
Stats: 127 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Experts often consider left tackle to be the most important position in the game, aside from quarterback. If that’s the case, the Eagles were fortunate to have Stan Walters blocking for Ron Jaworski’s blind side for nearly a decade in a row. Walters was a ninth-round draft pick of Cincinnati who only came to the Eagles in a trade, and he turned into one of the greatest offensive linemen in team history.
Walters started every game over his first eight seasons with the team. He made consecutive Pro Bowls in 1978 and 1979, then went the entire 1980 campaign without allowing a sack.
44. Jon Runyan, OT, 2000-2008
Stats: 144 games
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team
A year after drafting Donovan McNabb second overall, Andy Reid knew he needed to upgrade the right side of the offensive line. As a result, the organization signed Jon Runyan to a six-year, $30 million deal, at the time the largest contract ever handed out to a lineman. Runyan played well enough in his time in Philly that he was eventually voted onto the team’s 75th Anniversary Team. He didn’t miss a game in nine seasons and started another 20 in the playoffs.
43. Ron Jaworski, QB, 1977-1986
Stats: 69-67-1 record, 53.3 comp pct, 26,963 passing yards, 175 TD, 151 INT, 74.0 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, NFC Player of the Year (1980), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Trading for Ron Jaworski before the 1977 season was a bizarre move, to say the least. At the time, Jaworski was a former second-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams who had thrown one career touchdown pass and sported a 38.3 passer rating in 124 attempts. And the Eagles gave up a three-time Pro Bowl tight end in Charle Young who was still just 26 years old.
After a rough debut season in Philadelphia, Jaworski became a franchise quarterback. He started every game over an eight-year span, setting an NFL record with 116 straight starts that lasted until Brett Favre broke it over a decade later. Jaworski threw 27 touchdown passes in 1980, earning the NFC Player of the Year award and leading the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. He’s one of only 13 quarterbacks ever to throw a 99-yard touchdown pass, and the only one to do it in overtime. When Jaworski retired, he held all-time Eagles records for completions, yards, touchdown passes, and wins.
42. Wilbert Montgomery, RB, 1977-1984
Stats: 6,538 rushing yards, 45 rushing TD, 266 receptions, 2,447 receiving yards, 12 rec TD; 8,985 scrimmage yards, 57 total TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Wilbert Montgomery’s career is one of the great Philadelphia stories. He was a sixth-round pick out of Abilene Christian College and was deemed too small to succeed in the NFL. Apparently he used to keep a towel under his door so the team couldn’t slide the pink slip underneath and cut him.
Montgomery flashed as a rookie with a 99-yard kick return touchdown, then became the team’s full-time starter in 1978 and rushed for 1,220 yards and made the Pro Bowl. His 1,512 rushing yards the next year set a new single-season franchise record. In 1980, he became a legend in the city when he rushed for 194 yards in the NFC Championship Game against Dallas, including a 42-yard touchdown scamper on the second play from scrimmage. When he finished his career with the Eagles, Montgomery’s 6,538 rushing yards ranked first, even ahead of Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren.
41. Zach Ertz, TE, 2013-2018
Stats: 437 receptions, 4,827 receiving yards, 29 rec TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl champion (2017)
Chip Kelly’s second-ever draft selection will likely one day go down as the greatest tight end in franchise history. Ertz is the perfect modern day tight end who can line up on the line but also split out wide as a slot receiver. Ertz broke through with his first Pro Bowl selection in 2017 and then topped that with a ridiculous 116/1,163/8 statline in 2018, setting a single-season record for receptions by a tight end in the process. It was Ertz who caught the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, but it was also Ertz whom Nick Foles targeted on a key 4th-and-1 earlier in the drive. He’s still only 28 years old and has a real chance to move into the top 25 on this list by the time his career is finished.
40. Charlie Johnson, DT, 1977-1981
Stats: 76 games, 4 INT, 7 fumble recoveries
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro
Every great defense needs a big lineman up front to plug the middle and require double teams to free up teammates to make plays. For the 1977-1981 Eagles, that player was Charlie Johnson. Operating primarily as a nose tackle, Johnson played 12 games as a rookie, then started every game over his last four years in Philadelphia. He was rewarded with a Pro Bowl selection in each of his final three seasons and earned First-Team All-Pro twice, but perhaps the biggest evidence of his play is in the numbers of the Eagles’ defense.
During Johnson’s five years with the Eagles, they allowed the fewest points in the NFL, averaging just 15.2 per game. They were third in passer rating allowed, fourth in interceptions, and sixth in completion percentage allowed and sacks. The running game was every bit as stout, allowing the second-fewest touchdowns in the league and third-fewest rushing yards. Once Johnson left, the Eagles fell to 19th in points allowed in 1982.
Perhaps Johnson’s most impressive individual accomplishment was what he did in the 1980 season, when he became the heaviest player in league history (266 pounds) to record at least three interceptions in a single campaign. That’s made even more remarkable by the fact that the Eagles typically removed Johnson from the game for Ken Clarke on passing downs.
39. Jim Ringo, C, 1964-1967
Stats: 56 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
After over a decade of Hall of Fame-caliber football with the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi sent Jim Ringo to the Eagles in exchange for a first-round pick. Ringo was almost 33 when he arrived in Philadelphia but still played four seasons, starting all 56 games and making the Pro Bowl three times. That was enough to put him in the Eagles’ Hall of Fame. If you combine what he did with the Packers and the Eagles, Ringo was a 10-time Pro Bowler and has a legitimate claim as a top-three center of all-time
38. DeSean Jackson, WR, 2008-2013, 2019
Stats: 356 receptions, 6,117 receiving yards, 32 rec TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls
There’s fast and then there’s blazing fast and then there’s DeSean Jackson fast. It’s almost hard to believe how fast he is, just as it’s equally hard to believe that a 175-pound wide receiver just cleared the 10,000-yard mark.
It’s almost impossible to pick the best moment in a career of amazing Jackson highlights. Everyone remembers the amazing 65-yard punt return to complete the comeback against the Giants, a play that was later voted as the greatest play in NFL history. But there was also the 88-yard touchdown on the first play of the game against the Washington Redskins in 2010. And there was the 91-yard touchdown against the Cowboys the same year when he fell backwards into the end zone.
In just six years with the Eagles, Jackson scored 14 touchdowns of over 60 yards. Normal receivers don’t do that. Including the time he’s spent with Washington and Tampa Bay, Jackson holds the NFL record with 24 touchdowns of at least 60 yards. Three times he totaled over 1,000 receiving yards with the Eagles despite playing with four different primary quarterbacks (Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Michael Vick, and Nick Foles). The best part is that he’s back in Philly for 2019 and he will be playing with the best quarterback of his career.
37. Tom Brookshier, CB, 1953-1961
Stats: 76 games, 20 INT, 8 fumble recoveries
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
The NFL draft maxes out at seven rounds in today’s day, so imagine how impressive it was that the Eagles picked Tom Brookshier in the eighth round and he went on to make the team’s Hall of Fame. Brookshier registered eight interceptions as a rookie, missed two years in the Air Force, and then came back to play another six years with the team. Brookshier made the Pro Bowl in 1958 and 1959, then started every game for an Eagles championship team in 1960. His career came to an unexpected end midway through ’61 when he suffered a brutal compound fracture of his leg, but he still did enough to have his jersey number #40 retired.
36. Hugh Douglas, DE, 1998-2002, 2004
Stats: 82 games, 54.5 sacks, 6 FF, 222 tackles, 1 INT
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
Hugh Douglas was one of the greatest pure pass rushers the Eagles have ever had, and he didn’t waste any time making his presence with the team known. Douglas came to Philly in a trade from the New York Jets and picked up 12.5 sacks in his first season, including a ridiculous 4.5 in a game against San Diego. Douglas had quite the season in 2000, picking up 15 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception, and a league-leading 21 quarterback hits. In the process, he became the first Eagles defensive player to earn a First-Team All-Pro selection since Clyde Simmons in 1992.
Douglas averaged 12 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in a year-span from 2000 through 2002, then came back in a part-time role n 2004 to help the Eagles advance to the Super Bowl.
35. Keith Jackson, TE, 1988-1991
Stats: 242 receptions, 2,756 receiving yards, 20 rec TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro, NFC Offensive Rookie of Year (1988)
How good was Keith Jackson during his brief time with the Eagles? He made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team AP All-Pro selection as a rookie in 1988. Then he did it again in 1989. And again in 1990. In the entire Super Bowl era, there have been only three offensive players to start their careers with three straight All-Pro selections: Earl Campbell, Barry Sanders, and Keith Jackson.
Jackson posted a 7/142 receiving line in the team’s 1988 playoff loss (the famous Fog Bowl game). In three career postseason contests with the Eagles, he averaged over 100 yards per game. That’s pretty special for a tight end.
You don’t usually let players of that caliber walk in free agency, but then again, former Eagles owner Norman Braman never met a superstar he couldn’t screw over. At just 27 years old, Jackson signed with Miami in free agency, then won a Super Bowl with Green Bay in 1996.
34. Nick Foles, QB, 2012-2014, 2017-2018
Stats: 21-11 record, 62.9 comp pct, 8,703 passing yards, 58 TD, 23 INT, 93.2 passer rating
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Pro Bowl MVP, Super Bowl champion (2017), Super Bowl MVP
To date, there’s never been a career in Philadelphia like Nick Foles’. There’s probably never been an NFL career quite like this one. Foles was a promising rookie in 2012, a record-breaking Pro Bowler for Chip Kelly in 2013, a quarterback who didn’t fit the system in 2014 who was incredibly traded for Sammy Sleeves (!), and then a Super Bowl champion who outdueled Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on the NFL’s biggest stage in 2017.
He provided enough memories in just 38 starts to become an all-time legend in Philadelphia. Seven touchdown passes in a game, an NFL-record 25 straight completions, a franchise-record 471 passing yards, a 27:2 TD:INT ratio in a season, and a slew of spectacular plays in the postseason. The Philly Special. The game-winner to Zach Ertz to in the Super Bowl. The absolute dime to Corey Clement in the back of the end zone. The flea flicker to Torrey Smith the week before. The come-from-behind game-winner to Golden Tate in this year’s postseason.
His 93.2 passer rating is the highest in team history (min. 1,000 attempts). So is his .656 winning percentage as a starter. He played the best football we’ve ever seen in the two biggest games of his life. He gave us the greatest game we’ve ever seen. The only thing keeping Foles from ranking higher is a shortened tenure in The City of Brotherly Love.
33. Jeremiah Trotter, MLB, 1998-2001, 2004-2006, 2009
Stats: 116 games, 692 tackles, 7 INT, 11 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 TD
Honors: 4 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Jeremiah Trotter was a fan favorite, a four-time Pro Bowler as one of the leaders of the defense, and a key contributor for the 2004 Eagles team that went to the Super Bowl. Oh, and he has one of the all-time great nicknames in franchise history: The Axe Man. After winning the starting middle linebacker job during his second training camp, Trotter went on to lead the Eagles in tackles each of the next three seasons, establishing himself alongside Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as one of the most ferocious middle linebackers in the game.
What a lot of fans may not remember is Trotter’s ugly departure from the Eagles after 2001. He and the Eagles couldn’t agree on a long-term extension for him to stay in Philadelphia, so Trotter signed a seven-year deal with Washington. When he was released just two seasons later, he came back to Philly on the veteran minimum, played special teams, worked his way back into the starting lineup, and became a Pro Bowler again despite only starting nine games. It was Trotter who picked off Daunte Culpepper in the NFC Divisional win in the playoffs and Trotter whose eight tackles led the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game victory.
32. Tra Thomas, OT, 1998-2008
Stats: 166 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team
The most important position on a football team is quarterback, but the second-most important position is left tackle. Andy Reid got his quarterback with his first-ever draft pick in 1999, and imagine how lucky he was to have inherited a 23-year-old left tackle in Tra Thomas with 16 games’ starting experience. Thomas is a 6’7”, 350-pound monster who benched 550 in college and held future Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas without a sack or a tackle in their matchup in ’99.
Over a decade-plus in Philly, Thomas proved to be one of the league’s best left tackles, making three Pro Bowls and helping the Eagles win 10 playoff games. In 2007, Thomas made the Eagles’ 75th Anniversary Team when he was still just 32 years old, beating out notables like Bob Brown, Al Wistert, Jerry Sisemore, and Stan Walters.
31. Jerry Sisemore, OT, 1973-1984
Stats: 156 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Whether you pick Tra Thomas or Jerry Sisemore on the Eagles’ all-time team, you can’t go wrong with either one. Sisemore played his first three years at right tackle, moved to right guard for two, and then played his final seven years back at tackle. At one point, he started 127 consecutive games on the offensive line; when you have a quarterback like Ron Jaworski and a lineman like Sisemore who collectively don’t get hurt, it makes for a solid combination. According to head coach Dick Vermeil, Sisemore once went two full seasons without allowing a sack.
30. Trent Cole, DE, 2005-2014
Stats: 155 games, 85.5 sacks, 569 tackles, 19 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 1 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
Trent Cole was an absolute rock during his decade with the Eagles. He was rarely hurt, played both 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker, and played the run as well as he did the pass. Not bad for a guy who entered the league as a fifth-round pick and was deemed too small to play regularly.
Cole was a starter by his second year with the Eagles and a Pro Bowler by his third year. He went on to register double-digit sacks on four occasions, topping out at 12.5 in both 2007 and 2009. From the time Pro Football Reference started tracking quarterback hits (2006) through the end of Cole’s tenure with the team, he ranked fourth in the NFL in that stat, trailing only Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, and J.J. Watt, all of whom will one day make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
29. Brian Westbrook, RB, 2002-2009
Stats: 5,995 rushing yards, 37 rush TD, 426 receptions, 3,790 receiving yards, 29 rec TD; 9,785 scrimmage yards, 68 total TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
The Eagles drafted Brian Westbrook in the third round, hoping he could be a third-down back and rotational ballcarrier. They probably didn’t expect that he would retire with the franchise’s career record in yards from scrimmage (9,785) as well as a spot in the team’s Hall of Fame.
Westbrook was used sparingly as a rookie in 2002, became a key part of the three-headed backfield as well as a dangerous punt returner in 2003, and emerged as a workhorse running back over the next several years. There’s a consensus that Westbrook was too small to exceed as an every-day player, and it’s true that he never suited up for all 16 games in a season. But he also averaged 1,621 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns over the five-year span from 2004-’08, numbers that only LaDainian Tomlinson topped.
Westbrook was quite literally a threat to score every time he got the ball in his hands. He returned the punt 84 yards for a touchdown against the Giants in 2003, a play known as Miracle at the Meadowlands II. He scored what should have been a 52-yard game-winning touchdown in the waning seconds of the Tampa Bay game in 2006 before a 62-yard field goal negated it. And he took a screen pass 71 yards for a touchdown to seal the 2008 NFC Wild Card game against Minnesota. Most remarkably, Westbrook fumbled just 12 times on over 1,800 touches; that’s the lowest fumble rate ever for a player with as many career touches.
28. Jason Kelce, C, 2011-2018
Stats: 110 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro, Super Bowl champion (2017)
In eight seasons in the league, Jason Kelce has started 110 games, made a pair of Pro Bowls, twice been named First-Team All-Pro, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship, and yet his most memorable accomplishment is something he didn’t do on the field.
Following the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory, Kelce donned a Mummers costume, stood up in front of the Philly faithful at the parade, and gave us the greatest speech we’ve ever heard in our lives. Kelce’s underdog speech highlighted Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson, and nearly the entire team, and gave us a quote that will last forever: “Hungry dogs run faster.”
Kelce’s best attribute as a center is his sheer athleticism. He was a walk-on running back in college who transitioned to fullback and then guard and finally center. He’s still one of the lightest centers in the NFL, but don’t think that gives him problems. It just gives him the rare ability to get to the second level to take on linebackers in the running game.
27. Jerome Brown, DT, 1987-1991
Stats: 76 games, 29.5 sacks, 10 fumble recoveries, 3 INT
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
One of the greatest tragedies in Philadelphia sports history is what happened to Jerome Brown in the summer of 1992. Brown was a fan favorite, a dynamic defensive tackle, and he was still just 27 years old at the time of the accident.
His legacy still remains strong to this day. Brown was a first-round pick of Buddy Ryan and a key component in making the defense an absolutely dominant unit. He was widely regarded as the best run-stopping defensive tackle in the league, but he also averaged nearly seven sacks per year over his final three years. Brown was named a First-Team All-Pro in both 1990 and 1991, which makes him one of only two Eagles defensive players in history to earn two AP1s by the age of 26.
26. David Akers, K, 1999-2010
Stats: 188 games, 294 field goals (82.4% made), 441 extra points (98.7%), 1,323 points
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
It’s remarkable the way the Eagles found David Akers. He was a former undrafted free agent on his third team in as many years and managed to latch on in Philly in 1999 as a long field goal specialist, where he only attempted field goals of over 40 yards. By 2000, he was one of the league’s better kickers, eventually making five Pro Bowls in 12 years with the Eagles. He was a kicker who wasn’t afraid to tackle and he was a master at the onside kick. Remember when he started the 2000 season with an onside kick against Dallas in the famous Pickle Juice game?
Akers holds the franchise record for games played at 188. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s and holds the league record for most points scored in a calendar decade (1,169). And the only true kicker in league history to make more Pro Bowls than Akers is the Hall of Famer, Morten Anderson. Even though he was a kicker, Akers is still one of the best players in team history.
25. Bucko Kilroy, G/DT, 1943-1955
Stats: 134 games, 11 fumble recoveries, 5 INT
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1948, 1949), NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
In the classic two-way player era, Bucko Kilroy was one of the best to do it. He played guard and tackle on offense, then turned around on defense and played what was known as middle guard at the time, although he could also contribute in pass coverage. Kilroy played a major role in blocking for Hall of Fame running back Steve Van Buren, and the Eagles probably wouldn’t have won consecutive championships from 1948-1949 without Kilroy.
24. Malcolm Jenkins, S, 2014-2018
Stats: 80 games, 11 INT, 418 tackles, 8 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 3 sacks, 4 TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl champion (2017)
Count me among those who were underwhelmed when the Eagles signed Malcolm Jenkins in free agency before the 2014 season. He was a former failed corner-turned-safety who didn’t earn a second contract with the team that spent a first-round pick on him, and he had never played a full season in five years in the league.
Since then? He’s quite possibly the single greatest free agent signing this organization has ever made. Jenkins has started all 80 games since the Eagles signed him, plus five more in the playoffs. He’s recorded 16 takeaways, forced eight fumbles, and scored four touchdowns (including a 99-yard pick-six). He’s also established himself as the captain, and not just the defensive leader, but the emotional leader, heart, and soul of the entire team.
The most impressive attribute of Jenkins is his versatility. He’s a safety who isn’t resorted to just your traditional safety duties. Jenkins plays free safety, box safety, outside linebacker, and nickel cornerback. During Jenkins’ time with the Eagles, the secondary has seen a complete overhaul, starting 21 different players at both cornerback positions and the other safety spot. Without Jenkins, there’s no way this team wins the 2017 Super Bowl.
23. Maxie Baughan, LB, 1960-1965
Stats: 80 games, 7 INT, 5 fumble recoveries
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
History doesn’t really seem to remember Maxie Baughan as you’d think. He started every game as a rookie, intercepting three passes and helping the Eagles win the 1960 NFL championship. He made the Pro Bowl five times in his six years with the team and missed just two games due to injury.
It was a surprising move that management decided to trade a 27-year-old linebacker of his skills; as it stands today, the only linebacker in team history to make more Pro Bowls than Baughan’s five is the great Chuck Bednarik.
22. Fletcher Cox, DT, 2012-2018
Stats: 109 games, 44.5 sacks, 330 tackles, 8 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, 2 TD
Honors: 4 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL champion (2017)
We’re still just seven seasons into Fletcher Cox’s career and it’s reasonable to believe the best is yet to come. Even so, what he’s accomplished to date makes him the greatest defensive tackle in the team’s history.
Cox began his career as a three-technique defensive tackle, switched over to defensive end in the team’s 3-4 scheme, and then moved back to tackle in 2016. He’s picked up 44.5 sacks in his career, made four Pro Bowls, been named a First-Team All-Pro nomination, earned a $100 million contract, and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. He was at his best this past year, starting every game, picking up a career-high 10.5 sacks and a ridiculous 34 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus rated him as the second-best defensive player in the entire league. If he keeps up his dominant play for a few more seasons, we’re going to be looking at him as a possibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
21. Bill Bergey, MLB, 1974-1980
Stats: 91 games, 18 INT, 15 fumble recoveries
Honors: 4 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
The Eagles gave up an incredible amount of draft capital to the Cincinnati Bengals to trade for Bill Bergey – two first-round pick and a second-round pick, to be exact – and it’s one of the best trades the Eagles ever made. Bergey didn’t waste time making an impact with his new team. In his home debut, he recorded 18 tackles and a forced fumble that was returned 96 yards for a touchdown. In his first five games, Bergey led a defense that allowed just 41 total points. He finished his first season with five interceptions and a fumble recovery, earning a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Bergey followed it up with an even better year, picking off three passes and leading the NFL with six fumble recoveries. He started every game over his first five years in Philadelphia before suffering a devastating knee injury that kept him out for most of ’79. Bergey returned to start every game for the 1980 NFC champion Eagles, retiring after the season.
20. Norm Van Brocklin, QB, 1958-1960
Stats: 19-16-1 record, 54.3 comp pct, 7,497 passing yards, 55 TD, 51 INT, 75.7 passer rating
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL MVP (1960), NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, NFL Hall of Fame
If Norm Van Brocklin did today what he did from 1958-1960, he would be the most popular man in Philadelphia sports history. Van Brocklin played just three seasons with the Eagles, but made quite a lasting impact.
He started all 36 games, made the Pro Bowl every year, led the league in game-winning drives twice, and then won the NFL MVP award in 1960. In the team’s NFL Championship appearance against the Green Bay Packers, Van Brocklin threw for 204 yards and led a fourth-quarter comeback to give the Eagles a 17-13 win. It’s the only time ever a team beat the Vince Lombardi Packers in the playoffs. Van Brocklin retired after the season to become a head coach.
19. LeSean McCoy, RB, 2009-2014
Stats: 6,792 rushing yards, 44 rush TD, 300 receptions, 2,282 receiving yards, 10 rec TD; 9,074 scrimmage yards, 54 total TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro
LeSean McCoy is probably the closest running back the NFL has seen to Barry Sanders. In his prime, he was an absolutely amazingly elusive runner who could stop on a dime, make defenders miss, and score from anywhere on the field. He even caught passes regularly, which made him a true three-down back.
After playing in a committee role during his rookie season, McCoy averaged 1,231 rushing yards on 4.7 yards per carry over his next five seasons. Four times he topped 1,000 yards, three times he topped 1,300, and he led the league with a franchise-record 1,607 in 2013. He was a workhorse who didn’t get hurt much, averaging close to 300 touches per season while rarely fumbling.
He’s the only Eagle ever to score 20 touchdowns in a year. He once rushed for 217 yards in the snow to beat the Detroit Lions in 2013. He holds the team record for rushing yards in a game, a season, and for a career. It’s a travesty Chip Kelly felt he was replaceable enough to ship away in the prime of his career.
18. Clyde Simmons, DE, 1986-1993
Stats: 124 games, 76 sacks, 720 tackles, 12 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, 3 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Everyone remembers Reggie White on the defensive line of the Buddy Ryan Eagles and you all know about Jerome Brown. But Clyde Simmons was a force on his own, and he ended up playing more games in an Eagles uniform than either one of them.
Simmons started his career as a ninth-round draft pick and ended it ranking 11th on the NFL’s all-time sack list with 121.5. Not only did he never miss a game in eight years with the Eagles, but he actually never missed one in 15 seasons in the league. Over a four-year span from 1989-1992, Simmons picked up 55 sacks, even more than White’s 54. The only player in the league with more than Simmons was Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas, who racked up 58. To this day, Simmons still shares the franchise single-game record with 4.5 sacks.
17. Al Wistert, OT/DT, 1943-1951
Stats: 95 games, 8 fumble recoveries, 1 INT
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 4 All-Pro, NFL champion (1948, 1949), NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
It’s a wonder Al Wistert still hasn’t made the Pro Football of Fame. This is a man who played both ways for the Eagles for close to a decade, made a Pro Bowl, four times earned recognition as a First-Team All-Pro, and was voted onto the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team. Wistert helped the Eagles win consecutive championships from 1948-1949, and later had his number retired by the Eagles. You’d think the NFL would have found a way to put him in Canton, Ohio, but either way, he’s one of the 25 best players in team history.
16. Bob Brown, OT, 1964-1968
Stats: 64 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pro, NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Bob Brown was a physical specimen, weighing in at 280 pounds back when the average lineman was maybe 250. He ran a 4.6 40 in college and at one point nearly set the new American record for the military press. That’s the kind of guy you build your offense around, and for five seasons in Philadelphia, Brown established himself as arguably the best lineman in the game.
He was an All-Pro by just his second season in the NFL, making it three times in five years with the Eagles. Brown was traded to Oakland after 1969 but still earned enshrinement to the Eagles’ Hall of Fame.
15. Pete Retzlaff, TE, 1956-1966
Stats: 452 receptions, 7,412 receiving yards, 47 rec TD
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Pete Retzlaff essentially played a combination of halfback, split end/wide receiver, and tight end over his 11-year career, and did enough that his #44 jersey is retired and he’s in the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame. That’s a pretty good resume for a player who was picked in the 22nd round by the Detroit Lions in 1953 and never even made their roster.
Retzlaff was a five-time Pro Bowler and one of the original pass-catching tight ends. He led the league in receptions (56) in 1958. His 1,190 receiving yards in ’65 earned him NFL Player of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club. To this day, that’s still the 11th-highest single-season total by a tight end in history, and only one other tight end has surpassed him during the 14-game season. It’s a travesty the Pro Football Hall of Fame hasn’t recognized his greatness, but that shouldn’t negate what he did for the Eagles.
14. Mike Quick, WR, 1982-1990
Stats: 363 receptions, 6,464 receiving yards, 61 rec TD
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Mike Quick’s career with the Eagles was brief but he was an incredibly effective player in his prime – and he still has the greatest last name ever for a wide receiver.
The Eagles picked Quick in the first round in 1982. By 1983, he was a 16-game starter, an All-Pro, and the league leader in receiving yards (1,409). He’s the only player in the modern era (since 1970) to gain at least 1,400 receiving yards while averaging 20-plus yards per catch. Even in 1988 when knee injuries began to derail his career, Quick still averaged an incredible 23 yards per reception on 22 catches. His career average of 17.8 is higher than notable deep threats like DeSean Jackson (17.4) and Randy Moss (15.6), and Quick remains the only player ever to catch a 99-yard touchdown pass in overtime.
13. Troy Vincent, CB, 1996-2003
Stats: 118 games, 28 INT, 516 tackles, 6 fumble recoveries, 10 forced fumbles, 4.5 sacks, 1 TD
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, NFL Man of the Year (2002), Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
The Eagles had to have had high expectations when they signed Troy Vincent as a free agent in 1996, but even they couldn’t possibly have known how good he would be. In just his first year with the team, he played a part in the franchise’s longest-ever interception return, taking a lateral 90 yards for a touchdown to complete a 104-yard score. By his fourth year with the Eagles, he was a Pro Bowler and led the league in interceptions.
Vincent teamed with Brian Dawkins and Bobby Taylor to give the Philly a dynamic secondary. Dawkins was a Hall of Famer and Taylor was a solid cover corner, but it was Vincent who made five straight Pro Bowls from 1999-2003. The similarities between Vincent and future Eagle Malcolm Jenkins are uncanny – each was a former first-round pick who was signed as a free agent and became a mulit-time Pro Bowler and one of the defensive captains for the team. Unfortunately for Vincent, the Eagles let him leave in free agency after ’03, so he never got to play in the Super Bowl. Still, he was added to the team’s 75th Anniversary team just four seasons later.
12. Harold Carmichael, WR, 1971-1983
Stats: 589 receptions, 8,978 receiving yards, 79 rec TD
Honors: 4 Pro Bowls, NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL Man of the Year (1980), Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
It took until Harold Carmichael’s third season for the Eagles to figure out how to use a 6’8” player, someone the rest of the NFL deemed unworthy of even playing in the league because he was ‘too tall.’ The Eagles spent a seventh-round pick on him, shifted him from tight tend to wide receiver in his third year, then watched him become a star.
Carmichael led the league in both receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,116) in his first season as a starter. He ended up making four Pro Bowls and setting a league record with a catch in 127 consecutive games. Carmichael retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in career catches (590), yards (8,985), and receiving touchdowns (79), and still holds each of those records today.
11. Randall Cunningham, QB, 1985-1995
Stats: 63-43-1 record, 55.7 comp pct, 22,877 passing yards, 150 TD, 105 INT, 78.7 passer rating; 4,482 rushing yards, 32 rush TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, NFL MVP (1990), NFL Comeback Player of Year (1992), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Sports Illustrated once called Randall Cunningham ‘The Ultimate Weapon’ and that’s quite possibly the most accurate nickname ever for #12. Cunningham’s highlight reel is one of a kind. We’ve all seen the famous play when he eluded Carl Banks on Monday Night Football. Cunningham once eluded Bruce Smith in the end zone and then threw a 95-yard touchdown pass to Fred Barnett. He threw for 447 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-37 win against Washington, bringing the Eagles back from a 20-0 deficit. He once punted the ball 91 yards.
Over a four-year period from 1987-1990, Cunningham was arguably the best all-around player in football. He played every game for the Eagles, a remarkable feat for a quarterback who scrambled as much as he did and suited up behind an offensive line that couldn’t start for a Division-I school. Cunningham averaged 3,365 passing yards and 25 touchdowns per year, and also led the team in rushing all four seasons. He won the NFL MVP in 1990 but also won the Bert Bell award for best player in 1988 (and then again in 1998 with the Minnesota Vikings). Cunningham is still the only Eagles player in the Super Bowl era to win NFL MVP.
The black mark on Cunningham’s Eagles career was the postseason – he lost three straight games from ’88-’90, throwing six interceptions without a single touchdown pass. He only led the Eagles offense to 25 points total in those three games, and he was even briefly benched by Buddy Ryan in the last game, a 20-6 loss. Eagles fans swear up and down the team would have won it all in 1991 had Cunningham not blown out his knee in Week 1, and when he did come back for 1992, he was pretty close to vintage Cunningham again – 2,775 yards, 19 touchdown passes, and 549 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. If Cunningham had been gifted with an offensive-minded head coach like Andy Reid, there’s no telling what he would have accomplished. There’s a good chance he would be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that the Eagles would have won a Super Bowl during his reign.
10. Seth Joyner, LB, 1986-1993
Stats: 120 games, 37 sacks, 875 tackles, 17 INT, 21 forced fumbles, 8 fumble recoveries, 5 TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Seth Joyner was an eighth-round pick in 1986 who didn’t even make the team out of training camp, and now he’s a top-10 player the Eagles have ever had. By just his second season with Philly, Joyner was a full-time starter, picking up four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. That was essentially the basis for Joyner’s career – he was a ballhawk linebacker who hit people, forced fumbles, made plays, and created turnovers.
The 1991 season is what made Joyner a legend in Philadelphia. He had 6.5 sacks, three interceptions, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 110 tackles, and two defensive touchdowns. No one has ever duplicated those numbers in one year. In a Monday Night game against Houston (the famous House of Pain game), Joyner picked up eight tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, and he did it while playing with a 102-degree fever. That’s the stuff legends are made from.
Not only is he the greatest linebacker the team has ever had, he’s one of the most talented to ever wear an NFL uniform.
9. Eric Allen, CB, 1988-1994
Stats: 111 games, 34 INT, 408 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 2 sacks, 5 TD
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
The Philadelphia Eagles defense of the Buddy Ryan era seemingly couldn’t miss with draft picks. In a span of four years, they added Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Seth Joyner, and Eric Allen, all of whom eventually made the team’s Hall of Fame. Allen started every game as a rookie and ended up missing just one game in his seven seasons with the Eagles.
He picked off a pass in his first NFL game and had five as a rookie. By his second year, he was an All-Pro and one of the best cornerbacks in the game. Allen still shares the team record for career interceptions (34) and he’s in sole possession for most interception return touchdowns (5). At one point, Allen brought back interceptions for scores in consecutive games in ’93, then had two in one game late in the season. One of those was a 94-yarder that was once called by NFL Films as the Greatest Interception Return in NFL History.
8. Jason Peters, OT, 2009-2018
Stats: 127 games
Honors: 7 Pro Bowls, 2 All-Pro
The one they call ‘The Bodyguard’ may be the most athletic offensive lineman to ever play in the NFL, and he’s the highest-ranking active Eagle on this list. Peters’ career is hard to believe; he was a former college tight end who worked out as an offensive tackle before the 2004 draft but went undrafted. He worked his way up from being a practice squad player to being a contributor on kickoffs for Buffalo to being a starting offensive tackle and then a Pro Bowler.
When Andy Reid traded a first-round pick for Peters before the ’09 season, no one could have envisioned how Peters’ Eagles career would go. He was brought in to replace the player, Tra Thomas, who’s in the team Hall of Fame, and yet Peters has been even better. He’s been to seven Pro Bowls in a decade with the Eagles and twice he was named First-Team All-Pro.
In 2012, Peters came back from a double torn Achilles at age 30 and then a torn ACL during the team’s Super Bowl run in 2017. Normal players aren’t able to come back from injuries quite like that, but then again, normal 328-pounders don’t run a 4.9 40-yard dash, as Peters did coming out of college. Remarkably, Peters has blocked for four different Pro Bowl quarterbacks with the Eagles and he’s established himself as one of the greatest offensive lineman to ever wear a uniform. He should one day get an invite from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
7. Tommy McDonald, WR, 1957-1963
Stats: 287 receptions, 5,499 receiving yards, 66 rec TD
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, NFL champion (1960), Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame
It’s absolutely amazing that a guy of Tommy McDonald’s size (5’9”, 178) not only played in the NFL but thrived – and went on to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. McDonald epitomized toughness, as he was the last non-kicker to play without a facemask. He once broke his jaw in a game but suited up the next week and scored four touchdowns.
McDonald was a big-time playmaker. He scored 66 touchdowns in just 88 games with the Eagles and led the league in multiple seasons. Over a three-year stretch from 1958-1960, McDonald caught 32 touchdowns on 115 receptions; that means he scored on over a quarter of his catches. McDonald scored the first touchdown of the Eagles’ 1960 NFL championship win, catching a 35-yarder to give the Eagles a 7-6 lead over Green Bay. He was traded to Dallas before the ’64 season, but still holds the franchise record for yards per catch (19.2) and he’s second in receiving touchdowns (66).
6. Donovan McNabb, QB, 1999-2009
Stats: 92-49-1 record, 59.0 comp pct, 37,276 passing yards, 216 TD, 100 INT, 86.5 passer rating; 3,249 rushing yards, 28 rushing TD
Honors: 6 Pro Bowls, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame
Andy Reid’s first-ever draft pick as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles is the best one he ever made. With the local media and Philly faithful clamoring for the team to select Heisman Trophy-winning running back Ricky Williams, Reid selected Donovan McNabb and got himself a Pro Bowl quarterback for the next decade.
By his second year in the league, McNabb was a 16-game starter who took the Eagles to the playoffs and rushed for nearly twice as many yards himself (629) as the leading running back on the team. He made the Pro Bowl each of his first four years as a starter, despite having subpar wide receivers, and he was a league MVP candidate in his first season with Terrell Owens (2004). The T.O. thing didn’t work out and the Eagles never won the Super Bowl under McNabb, but still, nine playoff wins and five conference championship game appearances is quite an accomplishment.
McNabb’s toughness was his most underrated aspect. He played nearly an entire game on a broken ankle in 2002, throwing four touchdown passes. He played most of September 2003 with what was probably a broken thumb and multiple games in 2005 with a sports hernia injury. In the much-criticized Super Bowl drive, don’t forget that McNabb stayed in the game and threw a touchdown pass to Greg Lewis. And when he was benched against Baltimore in 2008, he responded by throwing for four touchdowns in a must-win game against Arizona later that week and then leading the Eagles back to the NFC Championship Game.
We’ve still never seen a quarterback pull off what McNabb did on his 14.1 second scramble against Dallas in 2004. For years, McNabb held the NFL record by completing 24 straight passes (over a two-game span). And his 4th and 26 completion to Freddie Mitchell was maybe the best play we had in Philly until Nick Foles came along. Sure, it ended awkwardly in Philadelphia, but let’s hope history remembers McNabb for being the unquestioned greatest quarterback in the franchise’s history.
5. Pete Pihos, WR/DE, 1947-1955
Stats: 373 receptions, 5,619 receiving yards, 61 rec TD, 1 punt return TD, 2 INT, 7 fumble recoveries
Honors: 6 Pro Bowls, 5 All-Pro, NFL champion (1948, 1949), NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pete Pihos is probably the greatest unknown Eagles player of all-time, and it’s all because he did his work at a time when football hadn’t yet soared to its current popularity. Pihos led the Eagles to the NFL Championship Game in each of his first three seasons with the club, and they won titles in both 1948 and 1949. In the ’49 game, Pihos got the scoring started with a 31-yard touchdown pass.
Pihos’ final six years in Philadelphia were what put him on the top five of this list. He was a Pro Bowler for each of them and a First-Team All-Pro for the final four, and he played both end on offense and defense on multiple occasions. It was shocking that he retired when he did – at age 32 and coming off a season in which he led the entire NFL in receptions for the third straight year. Even in just 12-game seasons, Pihos did enough that his 61 receiving touchdowns still ranks as the third-best total in franchise history.
Pihos’ dominance across the league can best be exemplified by his final three-year stretch. During those years, he ranked first in catches (185), yards (2,785), and touchdown receptions (27). After he retired, the Eagles dropped from No. 1 in passing offense to third-worst.
4. Steve Van Buren, RB, 1944-1951
Stats: 5,860 rushing yards, 69 rush TD, 3 rec TD, 2 punt return TD, 3 kick return TD; 8,958 all-purpose yards, 77 total TD; 9 INT, 14 fumble recoveries
Honors: 5 All-Pro, NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
When he played, Steve Van Buren was the biggest, the strongest, and the fastest running back in the game, and that made him the best the league had ever seen until Jim Brown came along. Van Buren led the NFL in yards per carry (5.6) as a rookie, then topped the league in rushing yards in four of the next five seasons and yards per game for five straight.
His 15 rushing touchdowns (and 18 total touchdowns) in his second season both set new league records that stood until Brown broke them 13 years later. Two years later, he set the new NFL record in rushing yards (1,008) and two years after that, he shattered his own mark with 1,146 in just 12 games. He was a dynamic return man as well, taking back a punt or a kick for a touchdown in each of his first four seasons.
It’s what Van Buren did in the playoffs that made him a legend. He rushed for 98 yards and the game’s only touchdown in the Eagles’ 7-0 championship win in 1948. Considering quarterback Tommy Thompson threw for just seven yards, it’s safe to say the Eagles needed Van Buren to carry the load. The next year, he rushed for 196 yards in the Eagles’ 14-0 championship win, doing so in a foot of snow. Even when the Eagles lost their first championship game appearance back in 1947, Van Buren touched the ball a ridiculous 40 total times, totaling 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In all, Van Buren averaged 131 yards and a touchdown in his three championship game appearances.
3. Brian Dawkins, S, 1996-2008
Stats: 183 games, 34 INT, 898 tackles, 21 sacks, 32 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries, 3 TD
Honors: 7 Pro Bowls, 4 All-Pro, NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame
You won’t get much of an argument if you call Brian Dawkins the most beloved man in the history of Philadelphia sports. Maybe all of Philadelphia. He was #20, Weapon X, the Wolverine, B-Dawk, and the captain of the defense as well as its best player for over a decade.
The Eagles built their defense around Dawkins, turning it into the best unit in the game. Dawkins played a free safety role, patrolling center field but also hitting the daylights out of anyone who dared come into his territory. He shares the franchise’s career record with 34 interceptions and he was the first NFL player to record 30 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles. He led the Eagles to four straight NFC Championship games, including a Super Bowl, and 18 playoff games in all. His performance in the 2004 NFC Championship Game win was legendary – five tackles, one for a loss, an interception, a forced fumble, and the hit on Alge Crumpler, all topped off by the greatest doggone postgame speech we’ve ever heard.
It’s pretty difficult to pick his best moment. There was the hit on Crumpler, but there were so many more. There was the quadrifecta game against Houston, when he became the first NFL player to record a sack, force a fumble, intercept a pass, and score a touchdown in the same game. There was the overtime interception of Brett Favre in the playoffs (the 4th and 26 game). And don’t forget who forced two fumbles and had a sack of Tony Romo in the 44-6 game. There’s never been a single athlete who epitomized the blue-collar city of Philly more than Dawkins, and it collectively broke the hearts of the entire city when the Eagles made little to no effort to retain him after 2008.
Dawkins now works in the Eagles front office and capped off one of the most incredible weekends Eagles fans have ever experienced – on Saturday, February 3, 2018, Dawkins was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and on Sunday, February 4, 2018, the Eagles won their first Super Bowl.
2. Reggie White, DE, 1985-1992
Stats: 121 games, 124 sacks, 794 tackles, 18 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries, 2 INT, 2 TD
Honors: 7 Pro Bowls, 6 All-Pro, NFC Defensive Player of Year (1985), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1987), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
You’re probably surprised to see Reggie White at #2 on this list. What more could he have done to earn the top spot? What I had to factor in was that White only played eight seasons in Philadelphia. It was an absolutely egregious move by the front office to let the greatest defensive end of all-time leave for another team while he was still in the prime of his career – but it does have to factor into my rankings when comparing him against players (or specifically, one player) who played longer and retired as an Eagle.
Still, while White was here in Philly, he was arguably the best player in football every year of his career. I’ve seen the highlights and White was routinely double and triple-teamed. And he would still blow through a tackle, a guard, and maybe a fullback, and sack the quarterback. White picked up 124 sacks in 121 games. He averaged 15.5 sacks and two forced fumbles per season. At one point from 1986 through 1988, he picked up 56 sacks in 39 games. If you take the final four games of 1986 and the 12 he played in 1987, he racked up 31 sacks over a 16-game span. It’s hard to believe that his NFL-record 21 sacks came in a strike-shortened season.
White also played the run superbly well, lining up at defensive end and defensive tackle, and leading an Eagles defense that boasted a slew of Pro Bowlers. He was The Minister of Defense, the first of a handful of incredibly emotional leaders the Eagles have had on the defensive side of the ball since then (Troy Vincent, Brian Dawkins, and Malcolm Jenkins). If he had been afforded the opportunity to stay in Philly and managed to deliver a championship, there’s no doubt in my mind White would rank #1 on this list.
1. Chuck Bednarik, LB, 1949-1962
Stats: 169 games, 20 INT, 21 fumble recoveries, 1 TD
Honors: 8 Pro Bowls, 6 All-Pro, NFL champion (1949, 1960), NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team, Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame
Chuck Bednarik was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, attended the University of Penn where he was a three-time All-American, played 14 years for the Philadelphia Eagles, and then died in Richland, Pennsylvania. He was a local boy, to say the least, and he has one of the greatest sports nicknames of all-time – Concrete Charlie. Technically, ‘Concrete Charlie’ derived from his offseason career as a salesman for a concrete company, but doesn’t it fit for the NFL’s toughest player, the last 60-minute man, and a player known dishing out some of the most memorable hits in league history?
Bednarik famously knocked out Hall of Fame running back Frank Gifford in 1960, a hit that Bednarik himself described as a ‘Mack truck hitting a Volkswagen.’ Gifford was hit so hard he laid unconscious on the field where teammates thought he was dead. He ended up missing an entire year of football. In the Eagles’ championship game against Green Bay later that year, Bednarik hit Paul Horning – another Hall of Famer – in the first quarter, forcing Hornung to leave the game with a pinched nerve. Late in the game with Green Bay driving to score, Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor (another Hall of Famer) and sat on him until the game ended, preserving the Eagles’ 17-13 win.
What made that so impressive is that Bednarik, who played both offense and defense, wasn’t even supposed to be there. He had actually retired in 1959 but chose to come back for one more year, which then turned into 1961 and 1962 as well. In his 14-year career, which started as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Bednarik delivered the Eagles two championships, made eight Pro Bowls, and was selected as a First-Team AP All-Pro on six occasions. His best season was probably 1953, when he picked off six passes and recovered four fumbles (an incredible 10 takeaways!) in just 12 games as an outside linebacker, but then again, his most memorable season is when he played every minute of every game at age 35 in 1960. Bednarik and White both made eight Pro Bowls. White wins in First-Team All-Pro selections (seven to six, and in a 28-team league as compared to 12), but Bednarik led the Eagles to two championships to White’s none and played a major role in the 1960 one. Ultimately, that’s the deciding factor in putting Concrete Charlie at number one on this list.
Foles, Ertz & Wentz have got to be #s 101, 102 & 103.
Ertz, Wentz & Foles have got o be #s 101 through 103. Also you could have listed HB – Billy Ray Barnes somewhere down in the 90s. it was no easy take developing this list: kudos to the Author.
Great article. I really appreciate it and the author’s ability to not be “present-day short-sighted” and really delve into the early history of the franchise and it’s early stars (1930s through 1950s).
The slow integration of the Philadelphia Eagles of Black players : The First Decade (1952-1962)
1952 FB – Ralph Goldston.
1952 HB Don Stevens . Goldston and Stevens simultaneously broke the eagles color barrier in 1952.
1953 DE Willie Irvin. (Still living born Jan. 3,1930 he is the Eagles’ oldest living black player at age 89.
1955 CB/ offensive End – Eddie Bell. He finished 2nd in the NFL in Interceptions in his rookie year of 1955.
1955 HB/CB George Taliaferro – Went to 3 Pro bowls with the NY Giants (1951-1953 prior to joining the Eagles
1957 FB Clarence Peaks Was Eagles’ starting FB for four years before injuries slowed him down.
1958 G Harold Bradley Jr. – Now Age 89. Went on to be a well-known artist and actor in Italy.
1958 T Proverb Jacobs.
1959 S Art Powell – Powell was a starting FS in his one year with the Eagles and ran backkicks and punts. He holds a near-record by making an over 90 yard kick off return without scoring (Tackled at the 4 yard line.) In 1960 Powell became a New York Titans (Jets) wide receiver and became an All-AFL player and was voted to be 2nd Team All-AFL for its ten year history 1960-1969.
1960 HB – Ted Dean scored the winning TD in the Eagles-Packers 1960 NFL championship game. madePro bowl the following year (1961) as a WR and kick and punt returner.
1960 Timmy Brown – acquired from he Packers after his rookie year of 1959 he went on to become an All-Pro and pro Bowler for the Eagles by 1962. He had several good years where he was in the top 10 in rushin for the NFL. He is 82 years old today.
1961 CB Irv Cross – two time Pro bowler. Trading Cross and All-Pro LB Maxie Baughan to the LA Rams for the start of the 1966 season was one o the Eagle sbiggest mistakes sinceCross and Baughan had a number of good years left in them. Cross just turned 80.
1962 WR Frank Budd – An Olympic sprinter from Villanova gave pro football a shot.
1962 DE John Baker He became a Pro Bowler later in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Youi might call the above list 14 players that changed the history and culture of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Addendum to above list: Ralph Goldston” Eagles 1952, Military service 1953; Eagles1954-1955 went on to play 10 years in the Canadian Football League 1956-1965, where he was an all-CFL running back for five consecutive years.
Eagles Safety, Art Powell actually set a record for a non-scoring kickoff return with a 95 yard kickoff return Vs. the NY Giants in 1959.
John Baker had a very good 11 year NFL career (1958-1968) as a Defensive End. He was known as an excellent pass rusher. 1958-1961: Los Angeles Rams; 1962: Philadelphia Eagles; 1963-1967: Pittsburgh Steelers;
1968: Detroit Lions.
Oops! Correction!
Harold Bradley Jr,. is actually the oldest living African-American Philadelphia Eagle., not Willie irvin.
It’s a difference of less than three months.
Guard Harold Bradley Jr. had played four years with the Cleveland Browns (1954-1957) before he came to the Eagles in 1958.. His birthdate is October 13, 1929, while DE Willie Irving, out of Florida A& M, was born on January 3, 1930. They are both 89, but Bradley Jr.’s 90th birthday is this October(2019) while Irvin won’t turn 90 until the first week of January 2020.