Football
The last 25 years of Eagles football has unquestionably been the best the franchise has ever experienced.
They have been to the playoffs 17 times. In only eight of the last 25 seasons did the Birds fail to reach the postseason. They’ve reached eight NFC Championship Games, won three of them, two in the last three years, been to four of their five Super Bowls and won two of them.
With all of that success, the Eagles have been blessed with a number of generational talents over the last quarter century of football in Philadelphia. Trying to organize them into a Top-10 list is probably stupid and will almost certainly lead to disagreement and name-calling.
Sounds like content to me!
Here are my Top 10 Eagles of the last 25 years:
1. Jalen Hurts
I’ve seen all the other lists. I’ve seen what others are saying about Jalen Hurts. I know all the ways in which he doesn’t measure up to his contemporaries and I know he has his deficiencies.
The problem is that people allow their nitpicking of those issues to cloud reality. Simply put, Jalen Hurts is the greatest winner the Eagles have ever had under center. He is the fulfillment of what was promised with Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb. He plays his best games in the biggest moments, as evidenced by his two other-worldly efforts in his two Super Bowls.
Has he benefitted from outstanding rosters in his two Super Bowl seasons? Absolutely. He’s not the only one. Joe Montana had Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Roger Craig and Bill Walsh. Troy Aikman had Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Jimmy Johnson. John Elway had Terrell Davis, some great receivers and Mike Shanahan. How many Hall of Famers did Terry Bradshaw play with? Every great QB had great talent around them when they won a Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts plays the most important position in Philadelphia sports. He has led his team to the playoffs in every season he’s started. He’s led them to two Super Bowls in three seasons. He won one of them and was the MVP in it.
We really don’t need to over-complicate this.
2. Brian Dawkins
The best defensive player of the last 25 years, B-Dawk is the most beloved former Eagle of all time.
The Hall of Famer played his entire career in one city (no, those three years in Denver definitely did NOT happen, OK?), was a first-team All Pro four times, made seven Pro Bowls with the Eagles, and compiled a slew of legendary hits that would undoubtedly be outlawed in the modern NFL.
Many of you would have him No. 1 on your list, and that’s fair.
3. Jason Kelce
For most of his career, Kelce flew under the radar. Most centers do. Then came the Mummers speech after the Super Bowl.
After Jason went on his alcohol-infused oral opus, a star was born. Kelce continued to play at an elite level until the day of his retirement, cementing his status as the most athletic centers to every play in the NFL. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer and one of the most beloved athletes in the city’s history.
4. Lane Johnson
In many ways, Johnson is the opposite of Kelce. He’s quiet, reserved, and doesn’t have a podcast, TV show, or famous brother dating the world’s most successful musician. That said, Johnson is the best offensive tackle in the NFL and has been a part of three Super Bowl teams, two of them champions. The Eagles’ record without him in the lineup is stark. He’ll go down as one of the greatest offensive linemen in Eagles history, playing his whole career in this city.
5. Brandon Graham
Graham isn’t going to the Hall of Fame, but his personality, performance on the field, and let’s be honest, the narrative arc of his career in Philadelphia, adds to his lore. He was considered a bust, a disappointment, before figuring it out late in his rookie contract and becoming one of the most important defensive players in Eagles history.
He’s also the author of the most important play in Eagles history, too.
6. Jason Peters
Another first-ballot Hall of Famer, Peters is likely the best left tackle in team history. If you have him in your top-five, I couldn’t blame you. It’s strange that Peters never actually played in a Super Bowl for the Eagles. He was a part of the 2017 team that went all the way, but got injured mid-way through the season. For whatever reason, my memories of Peters aren’t as high as the other five on the list in front of him. Recency bias? Maybe.
7. Fletcher Cox
It’s likely Cox will one day enter the Hall of Fame, and his contributions as a game-wrecking force in the middle of the defensive line will be remembered forever. Again, if you have him in your top-five, there are plenty of arguments to be made for that.
8. Donovan McNabb
This may be a controversial decision, given most Eagles fans view McNabb’s career as a disappointment, but before Hurts’ Super Bowl winning season last year, McNabb was the most accomplished QB in franchise history. Along with Andy Reid, McNabb kick-started this 25-year run of success with five trips to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl appearance. Of course, fans remember four NFC title game losses (this is before the Eagles routinely blew teams out in the NFC Championship Game every time, kids), but his body of work cannot be denied. The second-best QB in Eagles history deserves his spot on this list.
9. Zach Ertz
Too high for Ertz? He was the most valuable weapon of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles during the 2017 run to the Super Bowl, he caught the go-ahead touchdown pass, set the Eagles’ single-season receptions record, and was generally beloved by everyone in the organization. Of all the pass-catchers this team has had over the last 25 years (A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Desean Jackson, Alshon Jeffrey), Ertz had the biggest impact and the best career out of all of them. An underrated legend.
10. Brian Westbrook
When we think of all-time Eagles, Westbrook is rarely mentioned, but he was truly the heartbeat of those early-years Andy Reid offenses. When Westbrook was hurt ahead of the NFC Championship Game against the Panthers, the Eagles offense went in the tank. Westbrook was as dynamic as a receiver out of the backfield as he was a runner, and when he finally got the chance to be the every down back, he took full advantage of it. The numbers may tell you LeSean McCoy was a better runner, but Westbrook was more integral to the most successful run in franchise history than McCoy was during his prime in Philly.
Five who just missed: A.J. Brown, David Akers, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter
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