NFL franchise story

Philadelphia Eagles

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.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: Philadelphia Eagles official NFL team page ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1933—1949

Steve Van Buren

Pete Pihos

Chuck Bednarik

The Steagles survive before Thompson builds a winner

The first champions

After wartime merger and early struggle, Greasy Neale's Eagles won consecutive championships behind Van Buren and an imposing defense.

Read the era story →

Chapter 01

1933—1949

Franchise era

1950—1975

Chuck Bednarik

Norm Van Brocklin

Tommy McDonald

Bednarik's last great team interrupts a dynasty

The 1960 title and the long decline

Philadelphia defeated Lombardi's Packers for the 1960 championship, then spent most of the next fifteen years searching for another core.

Read the era story →

Chapter 02

1950—1975

Franchise era

1976—1985

Ron Jaworski

Harold Carmichael

Wilbert Montgomery

From exhaustion to the first Super Bowl

Vermeil's climb

Dick Vermeil turned a depleted roster into the 1980 NFC champion through relentless development and Montgomery's complete running.

Read the era story →

Chapter 03

1976—1985

Franchise era

1986—1998

Reggie White

Randall Cunningham

Clyde Simmons

A historic front cannot find a matching offense

The Buddy Ryan defense

White led one of football's deepest defenses while Cunningham reimagined quarterback movement, but the gifted group never won a playoff game together.

Read the era story →

Chapter 04

1986—1998

Franchise era

1999—2012

Donovan McNabb

Brian Dawkins

Brian Westbrook

Five NFC title games make contention routine

Reid and McNabb

Andy Reid and McNabb created the franchise's most sustained run of success and reached Super Bowl XXXIX after four straight NFC title-game appearances.

Read the era story →

Chapter 05

1999—2012

Franchise era

2013—2020

Nick Foles

Fletcher Cox

Jason Kelce

A backup quarterback completes the first Super Bowl title

The Philly Special

Chip Kelly's tempo gave way to Doug Pederson's adaptable offense, and Foles finished a remarkable 2017 postseason by outdueling New England.

Read the era story →

Chapter 06

2013—2020

Franchise era

2021—present

Jalen Hurts

A.J. Brown

Lane Johnson

A dominant line powers another championship window

Hurts and the new standard

Philadelphia rebuilt quickly around Hurts, elite line play and aggressive roster construction, returning to the Super Bowl with another distinct core.

Read the era story →

Chapter 07

2021—present

Present day

The essential watchlist