Philadelphia Eagles · Franchise era 1 of 7
The first champions: the Philadelphia Eagles story
Franchise era
1933—1949
The first champions
Philadelphia Eagles
The story in one sentence
After wartime merger and early struggle, Greasy Neale's Eagles won consecutive championships behind Van Buren and an imposing defense.
The Steagles survive before Thompson builds a winner
Steve Van Buren, Pete Pihos and Chuck Bednarik gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the 1960 title and the long decline.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Philadelphia's franchise history moves from the 1940s champions through the Buddy Ryan defense, Andy Reid's sustained contention and two modern Super Bowl teams built around fearless quarterback play.
1947-12-28
Conference Championship: Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Cardinals
1948-12-19
Conference Championship: Chicago Cardinals vs Philadelphia Eagles
1949-12-18
Conference Championship: Philadelphia Eagles vs Los Angeles Rams
After 1949
What came next
Philadelphia defeated Lombardi's Packers for the 1960 championship, then spent most of the next fifteen years searching for another core.
The core