A syndicate led by the late Bert Bell and Lud Wray paid $2,500 for the defunct Frankford Yellowjackets club, and thus, Since its inception in 1933, the Eagles had resided in Philadelphia and became a fixture in the sports landscape. In 1941, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh exchanged places of residence, with Alexis Thompson becoming the Eagles’ new owner. It was an unusual move.
Early Days of Philadelphia Eagles
Because of the World War II labor shortage, the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh teams united for one season in 1943. Both Phil-Pitt and the Steagles were nicknames for the team. The squad went 5-4-1 with co-coaches Greasy Neale of the Eagles and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers.
Neale coached the Eagles for ten seasons, counting the 1943 season, and guided them to their first major NFL victories. Led by future Hall of Fame players such end Pete Pihos, center-linebacker Chuck Bednarik, running back Steve Van Buren, and center-linebacker Alex Wojciechowicz, the Eagles dominated the league for six seasons. They won the division title in 1947, were second in the NFL Eastern division in 1944, 1945, and 1946, and then had consecutive shutout wins in the 1948 and 1949 championship games.
Philadelphia Eagles from 1950 to 1988
Philadelphia’s period of dominance came to an end in 1958 due to a slew of injuries, and the Eagles were now in last place in their division. However, that year also saw the signing of quarterback Norm Van Brocklin via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams and the beginning of a rebuilding effort under new coach Buck Shaw. The Eagles finished 10-2 in the Eastern division and went on to win the NFL championship, defeating the Green Bay Packers 17-13, thanks to Van Brocklin’s outstanding on-field leadership.
The Eagles missed out on another NFL Eastern Conference title by only a half-game in 1961, but it would take them 18 years to reach the playoffs until 1978, their third season under head coach Dick Vermeil. From 1978 to 1981, Vermeil’s teams participated in four consecutive postseason playoffs. In 1980, Philadelphia set a team record with twelve wins, beat Dallas to win the Eastern division, and went on to win the NFC championship by defeating the Cowboys 20-7. But in Super Bowl XV, the Eagles fell short against the Oakland Raiders, 27-10.
The Eagles were the NFL’s Eastern Division winners in 1988. Philadelphia, which was especially strong defensively, won ten or more games for five years in a row beginning that season and continued until 1993. The Eagles qualified for the playoffs as a wild-card team in four of those seasons, a feat they duplicated in 1995.
Andy Reid became the team’s head coach in 1999. The Eagles became one of the NFL’s most dominating teams under his leadership right away. Philadelphia made nine playoff appearances, won their division six times, and advanced to Super Bowl XXXIX starting in 2000.
Modern Days of Philadelphia Eagles
Reid has the longest coaching tenure of any coach in team history, leading the team for 14 seasons. Head coach Chip Kelly of the University of Oregon joined the Eagles in 2013 and earned an NFC East Division championship in his first season.
The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots dynasty to win the NFC championship and secure a berth in Super Bowl LII for the first time in thirteen years. With a 41-33 victory, backup quarterback Nick Foles guided the team to their first-ever Super Bowl triumph. The Eagles were named conference champions once again in 2022, but they ultimately lost in Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs.
