1947 NFL Championship Title

Lore & Background

This was the Cardinals' last playoff win as a franchise until January 2, 1999; at 51 years and five days, it was the longest post-season win drought in NFL history. As of 2026, this is the Cardinals’ last championship, and they now hold the longest title drought in North American sports. The team moved to St. Louis as the St. Louis Cardinals in 1960 and Arizona as the Phoenix Cardinals in 1988 (changing to Arizona Cardinals in 1994).

In Their Own Story

The cold wind of late December bit at the faces of fans packed into Griffith Stadium as the clock ticked down on a pivotal fourth quarter. The air smelled of wet wool and popcorn, thick with tension. As Tommy Thompson dropped back, scanning the field, he saw Charlie Trippi break free near the sideline. With a perfect spiral cutting through the gray sky, the ball found its mark. The roar that erupted from the Chicago faithful was deafening, a sound that would travel across decades to become the heartbeat of an entire franchise.

Reader's Guide

The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals (9–3) and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (8–4). A week earlier, the Eagles defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–0 in a tiebreaker playoff to determine the Eastern winner. Both the Eagles and Cardinals were making their first appearances in the championship game. The Cardinals had won the regular season meeting in Philadelphia three weeks earlier by 24 points and after a week off, were 12-point favorites to win the title game at home. This was the second NFL title game played after Christmas Day, and the latest to date. Scheduled for December 21, it was pushed back a week due to the Eastern division playoff. The temperature at kickoff was 29 °F (−2 °C). On a frozen field, the Cardinals elected to wear sneakers. The decision paid off handsomely, as Chicago outgained Philadelphia on the ground 280 yards to just 60 for the day.

Did You Know?

• The Cardinals built a 14–0 lead in the second quarter, then the teams traded touchdowns. The Eagles closed the gap to 28–21 with five minutes to go, but the Cardinals controlled the ball the rest of the game on an extend
• This was the only NFL title game played at Comiskey Park and is one of two Cardinals NFL Championship victories.
• The Cardinals' win kept the NFL title within the city of Chicago; the North Side's Bears had won the previous season.
• The team did not receive championship rings until the 50th anniversary of their win in 1997.