History of the Philadelphia Eagles
If not for the success of an early team called the Frankford Athletic Association Yellow Jackets, we might not have the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Yellow Jackets began as an independent team in 1924, and they won six games when playing NFL teams. In a case of if you can’t beat them, ask them to join you, the NFL offered them membership in the new league, and the Yellow Jackets said yes. And then they won the NFL Championship in 1926.
But the finances of professional football was fickle in the 1920s, and they went from championship team to bankruptcy by the end of the decade, and folded midway through the 1931 season.
The NFL, however, wanted another Philadelphia franchise, as did the fans in Philadelphia. And in 1933 a new expansion team was given to Bert Bell and Lud Wray. The United States also had a new president in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the logo for his New Deal featured an Eagle, which spoke to Bell and Wray. And it was that inspiration that led to the name of the new team in Philadelphia, beginning play in 1933.
Philadelphia Eagles Championships
The Eagles won a pair of NFL Championships in the 1940s, and were back on top for the third time in 1960. But from 1961 through 1977, they didn’t make the postseason. And it was another 40 years, after the 2017 season, before they won the first Super Bowl in franchise history, a 41-33 win over the Patriots.
Those 1940s championship teams were led by Hall of Famers Steve Van Buren and Chuck Bednarik, who is ranked as one the hardest tacklers in NFL history. He was a 10-time First-Team All-Pro.
The 1960 championship team was led by Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, who led the NFL in passing yards five different seasons.
Second on the NFL’s all-time sack list is Reggie White, a Hall of Famer in 2006, and a 13-time Pro Bowl selection.
NFL Big Changes from Last Season – Philadelphia Eagles
Following the Eagles win in Super Bowl LII, they made the playoffs in each of the next two years. But in 2020 the bottom fell out, and after a 4-11-1 season Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson was gone.
Last year they found a new head coach in Nick Sirianni and a new quarterback in Jalen Hurts, and now this year they are looking to get beyond the wild card round of the playoffs. Last year’s season came to an end against the Buccaneers on the first weekend of the postseason.
The Eagles were primarily a running team in 2021, finishing the season as the league’s number one ranked rushing offense. But passing the ball they only ranked 29th, and that has to improve if they are going to play deep into January or February.
A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and Zach Pascal
In comes wide receiver A.J. Brown, which cost Philadelphia the 18th and 101st overall picks in the 2022 draft, as well as $100 million. But he is exactly the kind of addition that Hurts needs to succeed. A security blanket, a guy you can always throw to with confidence, a guy who can consistently move the sticks and cause the defense to think twice before selling out to stop the run.
Brown, with DeVonta Smith and an added depth piece in Zach Pascal, gives this offense great potential in the passing game.
Stopping the passing of the other team is also improved. Cornerback James Bradbury comes to the Eagles from the Giants, and EDGE Haason Reddick will help anchor the pass rush after spending last season in Carolina.
Also joining the defense in 2022 is the 13th overall pick in the draft, defensive tackle Jordan Davis. He is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, and at the combine he became just the third player in history over 330 pounds to run the 40 in under five seconds (4.78).
* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
NFC East
