As the seventh-oldest franchise in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles have seen plenty of amazing players suit up in either Kelly or midnight green throughout the years. With that fact in mind, today, we will do the impossible task of ranking the five greatest players in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Truthfully, there is no right answer to this prompt. The list of Hall of Famers to come through Philadelphia is long, and the list of All-Pros and Pro Bowlers is even longer. Almost a century’s worth of greats had to be considered for this list, whether for their talents on the field, meaningfulness to the franchise’s success, or what they meant to the city as a whole.
There will be players who aren’t included today who you think deserved to be, so please, hop on Twitter and let’s talk about it (you can find me on Twitter @KyleAStarrett)! Now without further ado, let’s get into my five greatest players in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Five Greatest Players in the History of the Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles C Jason Kelce (62) – Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports
5. Jason Kelce
In the last decade, has there been a player more meaningful to not just the team but the entire city of Philadelphia? Jason Kelce was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, and since then, he’s been a cornerstone of the franchise. Whether it’s his play on the field or passion off of it, he’s earned his spot as one of the greatest Eagles ever.
Let’s start with his play because it’s truly a Hall of Fame resumé. During his 12 seasons with the Eagles, he’s earned six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pros, the most of any Philadelphia o-lineman in the Super Bowl era. He’s also been a captain of the team for five seasons, with 2023 likely to be his sixth. Through his leadership, skill, and athleticism, he has helped give the Eagles a truly elite offensive line, especially in the 2020s.
Perhaps even greater than his on-field performance, though, is his dedication to the city. For years now, there have been rumors of Kelce’s retirement, yet he has continued to re-sign with the team to try to bring the city a second Super Bowl. He has always been vocal about what the city and fanbase have meant to him, and, in a time when the business aspect of professional sports has overridden all else, he has been as loyal a person as can be.
Kelce has been arguably the best center in football for years at this point–that alone, to me, cements his spot on this list. However, given what he’s meant to the city as a whole, how can he not be considered a top-five Eagle at this point? He’s truly an all-timer and has been a lifelong inspiration to me, and I know Eagles fans everywhere are dreading the day he hangs up the cleats.
Former Eagles RB Steve Van Buren (15) – Philadelphia Eagles
4. Steve Van Buren
As a younger fan of the game, I didn’t know much about Steve Van Buren going into this article. I obviously knew of the name, but being so far removed from when he was on the field, he’s just one of those forgotten NFL legends to me. However, with a little bit of research, you can see how big of an impact Van Buren had during his time in Philadelphia.
Van Buren was truly an elite back in his era. During his eight seasons in the league, he broke 1,000 yards twice and earned All-NFL honors (what we would call All-Pro today) six times. He also earned four rushing titles, proving himself as the best running back at a time where the position made or broke an offense.
However, Van Buren’s impact went much further than his stats. Before he entered the league, the Eagles struggled to find success, failing to place any higher than fourth in the league during their first ten years of existence. Van Buren went a long way in changing that.
The Eagles strung together three strong seasons before making their first NFL Championship in 1947 where they fell to the Chicago Cardinals. However, they would then win the next two championships, all behind the legs of Van Buren. After a decade of struggles, the Eagles legend helped change the tide in Philadelphia, giving the Eagles some hardware and putting the team on the right path for the next decade-plus. For his efforts, Van Buren finds himself in the NFL Hall of Fame and has his number 15 retired by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Eagles C/LB Chuck Bednarik (60) – John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated
3. Chuck Bednarik
Perhaps the greatest Eagle of the early-to-mid 1900s, Chuck Bednarik was truly a man amongst boys. The Hall of Famer was one of the last two-way players in NFL history and was likely one of the best, earning Pro Bowl and All-NFL honors at both center and linebacker at different points in his career. Although better remembered for his time at linebacker, he was a force on both sides of the ball and was one of the greatest players to play in the pre-merger era.
Given his offensive position and the fact that tackles (as far as my research says) were not recorded during his time in the league, “Concrete Charlie” doesn’t have much recorded in terms of on-field production. However, what he does offer is hardware. In 14 seasons, Bednarik earned eight Pro Bowl nods along with nine All-NFL selections, cementing him as one of the best players in the game during his time. He also ended his career having helped Philadelphia win two NFL championships, the first in his rookie year in 1947 and the second against the vaunted Vince Lombardi Green Bay Packers in 1960.
The latter Super Bowl was an especially great moment for Bednarik. In the 1960 championship game, the Eagles asked Bednarik to play both ways after specializing on just one side of the ball for most of the prior six seasons. He didn’t disappoint. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, “the 35-year-old was exceptional”, playing 58 of the 60 minutes of game time and even making a game-sealing tackle at the buzzer to complete the Eagles 17-13 win. This was the one and only championship loss for the Lombardi Packers and is probably the crowning achievement of Bednarik’s career.
Like Van Buren, Bednarik is in the NFL Hall of Fame and has his number 60 retired by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Eagles S Brian Dawkins (20) – Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
2. Brian Dawkins
Here’s another guy who finds himself on his list not just for his play but also for what he meant to the city of Philadelphia. Brian Dawkins was the heart and soul of the Eagles during his 13 years with the team. He ended his time in Philly with seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pros, while also ending the 2002 season in third place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. With these accomplishments, he is absolutely one of the greatest safeties of all time.
Dawkins was feared during his time in the NFL, and rightfully so. As an undersized safety, he relied on his fiery nature to punish whoever dared carry the ball in his vicinity. Nothing better exemplifies this than his hit on Alge Crumpler, former tight end of the Atlanta Falcons, in the 2004-2005 NFC Championship game. The 275-pound tight end could only brace for the contact as 210-pound Dawkins laid a hit that left Crumpler sucking wind for the next minute. This hit helped propel the Eagles to a win and their second-ever Super Bowl appearance and was the defining moment of Dawkins’ career.
https://twitter.com/Philly__Nation/status/1079441954633588736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In 2018, Dawkins was cemented in NFL history as a member of the Hall of Fame. He also has his number 20 retired by the Eagles. Dawkins is truly one of the all-time greats and represented the passion of the Philadelphia fanbase better than any other player to boast the uniform.
Former Eagles DE Reggie White (92) – Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated
1. Reggie White
While there are plenty of players whose passion for the city made them fan favorites, it’s undeniable that Reggie White was the most talented player to ever wear an Eagles uniform. In just eight seasons with the team, the “Minister of Defense” earned seven Pro Bowl nods and six All-Pros. He also won Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 while being a candidate for the award four other times, also being runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year. In terms of individual achievements, White did pretty much the most one player can at a given position.
Statistically, White is one of the greatest of all time, a stance most Eagles’ fans would probably defend. He ended his career with the second most sacks in NFL history at 198, only two behind the all-time leader Bruce Smith. However, even if you subtract the sacks he got on other teams, his total would still be 124, good for 19th most all-time. That type of dominance is rarely seen in the NFL, and the Eagles were blessed to see it for most of the 1980s.
Spearheaded by White’s dominant play, the Eagles had one of the best defensive lines ever in the late 80s and early 90s. Joining White on the defensive line were All-Pro Jerome Brown, a fringe candidate for this list, and Clyde Simmons. This unit wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks, but it was White who stood out from the rest and proved himself to be an all-timer.
In summary, White is one of, if not the, greatest defensive linemen to ever play the game, and for the Eagles, there’s no one who comes close to his level of dominance. Like the three previously listed players, White has his number 92 retired by the Eagles and will likely remain the team’s greatest player for a long time more.
