Philadelphia Eagles

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The franchise was established in 1933 as a replacement for the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets when a group led by Bert Bell secured the rights to an NFL franchise in Philadelphia. Since their formation, the Eagles have appeared in the playoffs 32 times, won 17 division titles (including 14 in the NFC East), appeared in four pre-merger NFL Championship Games, winning three of them (1948, 1949, and 1960), and appeared in five Super Bowls, winning Super Bowls LII and LIX.

In Their Own Story

The history of the series is punctuated by records set and broken within the confines of these heated battles. On Halloween 1993, Emmitt Smith ran for 237 yards in a rainstorm to lead Dallas to a 23–10 win, setting a franchise single-game rushing record. In November 1996, Eagles linebacker James Willis intercepted Troy Aikman and lateraled the ball to Troy Vincent for a 104-yard touchdown, a play that helped secure a 31–21 victory. The intensity reached new heights in September 2000 during the "Pickle Juice" game; facing temperatures over 109 degrees, Eagles players drank pickle juice to prevent cramps and dominated Dallas 41–14, handing them their worst opening day loss since 1963. Tragedy struck in October 1999 when Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury at Veterans Stadium, drawing boos from the crowd as he was consoled by teammate Deion Sanders. The 2004 season saw the highest-scoring game in rivalry history on November 15, where Donovan McNabb eluded defenders for 14 seconds before connecting with Freddie Mitchell for a 60-yard pass in a 49–21 Eagles victory at Texas Stadium.

Reader's Guide

The Philadelphia Eagles rank among the best teams in the NFL for attendance and have sold out every home game continuously since the 1999 season. The Eagles are owned by Jeffrey Lurie, who bought the team in 1994 for $185 million. In December 2024, the Eagles became one of the first teams in the NFL to sell an ownership stake to outside investors. The deal sold 8% of the franchise at a valuation of $8.3 billion.

Did You Know?

• The Eagles were named after the Blue Eagle logo of the National Recovery Administration, a centerpiece of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies.
• In 1935, Eagles co-owner Bert Bell proposed the annual college draft to equalize talent across the league.
• The Eagles merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1943 to form the 'Steagles' due to player shortages during World War II.