Who are the 10 greatest Philadelphia Eagles of all time?

Who are the 10 greatest Philadelphia Eagles of all time?

The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL.

Inducted into the sport in 1933, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Eagles are tied for the seventh-oldest NFL team. They’ve also sent 25 players to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and have compiled four championships total (one Super Bowl).

Here are the 10 greatest Eagles of all time.

10. RB Brian Westbrook (2002-09)

Westbrook was Philadelphia’s No. 1 running back and one of the better backs in the NFL during the bulk of his stint with the franchise. A one-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, Westbrook logged 1,200-plus rushing yards in two seasons, while averaging 587 receiving yards and five receiving scores per season from 2003-08. Westbrook is third in Eagles history with 5,995 rushing yards and fifth with 37 rushing touchdowns. As a pass-catcher, Westbrook ranks 14th in franchise history with 29 receiving touchdowns and 17th with 3,790 receiving yards. 

9. OT Jason Peters (2009-20)

Peters was an immovable object for the Eagles. A two-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, Peters was Philadelphia’s starting left tackle — barring injury — across his 12 seasons with the franchise. Turning 43 later this month, Peters, who went undrafted in 2004, was one of four offensive tackles named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s. Peters remains in the NFL and has a viable case for being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his career concludes.

8. DT Fletcher Cox (2012-23)

Recently retired, Cox was one of the faces of a vibrant Eagles era. A one-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Cox is fifth in Eagles history with 70.0 sacks, third with 88.0 tackles for loss, sixth with 16 forced fumbles and tied for first with three scoop-and-scores. Cox was a defensive linchpin for Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII-winning defense. He’s tied for third in franchise history with 188 games played and is one of four defensive tackles that was named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s.

7. WR/TE Harold Carmichael (1971-83)

Carmichael spent all but one season with the Eagles, with whom he’s the all-time leading receiver. Across his 13 seasons in Philadelphia, Carmichael totaled 589 receptions, 8,978 passing yards and 79 receiving touchdowns, which all rank first in Eagles history. A four-time Pro Bowler, Carmichael posted 1,000-plus receiving yards in three seasons and led the league in both receptions (67) and receiving yards (1,116) in 1973. He also had a combined six receiving touchdowns in seven postseason games, one of those seasons highlighted by an appearance in Super Bowl XV.

6. QB Randall Cunningham (1985-95)

Cunningham became Philadelphia’s full-time quarterback in the latter half of the 1980s and later one of the league’s best signal-callers and dual-threats. A future All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Cunningham led the Eagles to the playoffs five times — which included four 10-plus-win seasons — and became just the second player in franchise history to throw for 30 touchdowns, doing so in 1990, while rushing for 630 yards and five touchdowns per season from 1986-92. Cunningham is third in Eagles history with 22,877 passing yards, 150 passing touchdowns and 63 wins as a starter. He’s also fourth in franchise history with 4,482 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns.

5. QB Donovan McNabb (1999-2009)

McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowler, led the Eagles to Super Bowl XXXIX in a season that saw him throw for a then-franchise record 3,875 yards, 31 touchdowns and post a 104.7 passer rating. McNabb is first in Eagles history with 32,873 passing yards and 216 passing touchdowns. He’s also ninth in franchise history with 28 rushing touchdowns and 11th with 3,249 rushing yards; McNabb averaged 448 rushing yards per season over the first five years of his career. Philadelphia went a combined 92-49-1 in the regular season and 9-7 in the postseason with McNabb as its starter.

4. DB Brian Dawkins (1996-2008)

Dawkins was a force to be reckoned with in Philadelphia’s secondary and is one of the best defensive backs in NFL history. A four-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, Dawkins was an essential part of Philadelphia’s 2004 NFC-champion defense. Concerning his Eagles career on the whole, Dawkins is first in Eagles history with 32 forced fumbles and tied for first with 34 interceptions, while being tied for seventh with 16 fumble recoveries and tallying 26 career sacks. Dawkins is fifth in franchise history with 183 games played.

3. C Jason Kelce (2011-23)

Kelce went from a sixth-round draft pick to one of the best players to ever suit up for the Eagles. Like Cox, Kelce, who recently retired, was one of the faces of the 2010s Eagles. A six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Kelce is second in franchise history with 193 games played. He, of course, started at center for the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII triumph and ended his career having made 134 consecutive starts (regular season and postseason since 2014).

2. LB-C Chuck Bednarik (1949-62)

Spending his entire NFL career with the Eagles, Bednarik was part of two NFL Championship teams (1949 and 1960). As a defender, Bednarik is fourth in Eagles history with 21 fumble recoveries and tied for 14th with 20 interceptions; he totaled a standout six interceptions in the 1953 regular season. While Bednarik earned All-NFL honors as a linebacker throughout the 1950s, he also earned such honors at center in 1950. A six-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, Bednarik was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.

1. DE Reggie White (1985-92)

White has a case for being the best defender in NFL history. An eight-time All-Pro and 13-time Pro Bowler, White led the NFL in sacks twice (1987 and 1988), logged 11-plus-sacks in every season that he played for the Eagles and totaled 100-plus combined tackles in four of those seasons. Furthermore, White posted 21 sacks in just 12 games in 1987. Despite playing just eight seasons in Philadelphia, White is first in franchise history with 124.0 sacks, fourth with 794 solo tackles and fifth with 18 forced fumbles. As a whole, White is second in NFL history with 198.0 career sacks.

Honorable Mentions:

  • HB Steve Van Buren
  • OT Bob Brown
  • Tommy McDonald
  • E/DE Pete Pihos
  • OT Lane Johnson
  • RB LeSean McCoy

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