The Philadelphia Eagles are a historic NFL franchise that was founded in 1933. While plenty of quarterbacks have played for the Eagles, only a handful have earned the honor of being named among the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history.
Nick Foles is forever enshrined in Philadelphia for winning the franchise’s first Super Bowl, but he didn’t have the longevity to make this prestigious list. Michael Vick was another popular Eagles quarterback, yet he landed in Philadelphia past his prime.
There are several players worth mentioning as all-time Eagles greats. Which quarterbacks will be named among the all-time greats in Philadelphia?
Greatest Philadelphia Eagles QBs of All Time
Throughout Philadelphia’s history, quarterbacks of all types of skill sets have put on a show for the Eagles. Yet it takes a combination of personal success, team success, and elite performances to be called one of the greatest in franchise history.
Now let’s take a look at which players are among the five greatest Eagles quarterbacks of all time in Philadelphia.
Honorable Mention: Nick Foles
While he’s the only starting quarterback in Eagles history to win a Super Bowl, Foles just barely misses the cut of top five players at the position in franchise history.
In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Eagles infamously targeted Russell Wilson in the third round as a backup quarterback to then-starter Michael Vick.
However, after the Seattle Seahawks traded up ahead of the Eagles to snatch Wilson, Philadelphia then settled on Foles with the 88th pick.
After struggling as a rookie in Andy Reid’s final year in Philadelphia, Foles had a breakout sophomore season under first-year head coach Chip Kelly. In 2013, Foles led the Eagles to a surprise playoff berth and threw 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions in 13 games.
Foles regressed the next season, however, and in that following offseason, Kelly traded him to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford.
However, as all Eagles fans know, Foles returned to Philadelphia in 2017 to be Carson Wentz’s backup. When Wentz went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury, Foles took the reigns and eventually led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
While Foles will forever be a franchise legend, he misses out on the top five because he had a shorter stint in Philadelphia compared to the rest of the quarterbacks on the list.
5) Carson Wentz
When the Eagles traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, they believed Carson Wentz was going to be the franchise QB for the next decade. His career in Philadelphia got off to a great start, as he showed tons of promise during his rookie season.
Despite a disastrous end to his tenure with the Eagles, Wentz was the face of the franchise for several years. He played a vital role in Philadelphia securing home-field advantage for the team’s legendary run to win Super Bowl 52.
In just his second season in Philadelphia, it seemed as though Wentz was going to lead the Eagles to the team’s first Super Bowl. Yet disaster struck, as he suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams. Philadelphia eventually won Super Bowl 52 without him, and it was the beginning of the end for Wentz with the Eagles.
In five seasons with the team, Wentz completed 62.7% of his passes for 16,811 passing yards, 113 passing touchdowns, and 50 interceptions. He ranks fourth in total passing yards in franchise history. If Wentz played longer in Philadelphia, he would likely be higher on this list.
A throwback to this Carson Wentz TD in 2017 🔥pic.twitter.com/ko9Rj8VStU
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) February 6, 2021
4) Jalen Hurts
Ironically enough, Jalen Hurts replaced Wentz in Philadelphia as the team’s full-time starter in 2021. In just three seasons as the Eagles’ starting QB, Hurts is on the trajectory to potentially become the greatest quarterback in franchise history.
Hurts has completed 63.4% of his career passes for 11,764 passing yards, 67 passing touchdowns, and 34 interceptions. His completion percentage is the highest in franchise history among quarterbacks with 1,000 or more career passing attempts.
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What Hurts is able to do with his legs is what truly separates him from other QBs in Philadelphia’s history. He already has the 15th-most rushing yards (2,503) and the fourth-most rushing touchdowns (41) in franchise history.
It’s fair to wonder if Hurts is being surrounded with more help than any quarterback in Philadelphia has ever had. He’s going to be throwing to a star wide receiver duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, potential Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Goedert, and former Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley.
3) Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski was one of the pioneers of successful quarterback play in the city of Philadelphia. In 1980, he led the Eagles to the team’s first NFC Championship. In 10 seasons with the Eagles, Jaworski threw for 26,963 passing yards — the second-highest total in franchise history.
Jaworski also threw 175 passing touchdowns, making him the Eagles’ runner-up in that category as well. Yet, his inability to run the ball and turnover issues knocked him down on this list. Plus, he’s first in franchise history with a whopping 151 interceptions.
Many fans know Jaworski as “Jaws,” as he continues to be a notable figure in Philadelphia today. Following his playing career, he served as an executive for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. Jaworski also owns and manages several golf courses around the Philadelphia area.
2) Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham was a game-changing quarterback in Philadelphia for 11 seasons. He was an electrifying player to watch, given his ability to make explosive plays with both his arm and legs.
Although the NFL is full of “running quarterbacks” in today’s game, Cunningham was one of the originators. He’s third all-time in franchise history with 22,877 passing yards and 150 passing touchdowns. But it’s Cunningham’s rushing ability that puts him in another category, though, as he finished his career in Philadelphia with 4,482 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns.
Despite all of his achievements at quarterback, one of the most notable plays in Cunningham’s career was a punt. In 1989, against the New York Giants, Cunningham actually punted the ball 91 yards, still one of the longest punts in NFL history.
Cunningham’s absurd ability to do it all on the football field is why he received the nickname “Ultimate Weapon.” It’s going to be hard to find another player in NFL history who can throw, run, and, shockingly, punt as good as Cunningham did in Philadelphia.
1) Donovan McNabb
As of right now, Donovan McNabb is in a league of his own when it comes to all-time greatest quarterbacks in Eagles history. In 11 seasons with the team, McNabb shattered all of the franchise’s passing records. He ended his career in Philadelphia with 32,873 passing yards and 216 passing touchdowns.
Yet, McNabb didn’t only do damage with his arm; he was able to make plays with his feet as well. He’s 11th in franchise history with 3,249 total rushing yards. He also added 28 rushing touchdowns, which ranks ninth.
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While McNabb put up tremendous numbers with the Eagles, Philadelphia also saw a ton of team success with him as the starting quarterback. During McNabb’s tenure, the Eagles won the NFC East five times, including a division title in 2004. Philadelphia reached the playoffs eight times in McNabb’s 11 seasons with the Eagles.
Despite all of his success in Philadelphia, it’s unfortunate that McNabb is most notably known for his shortcomings with the Eagles. During his tenure, Philadelphia was never able to win the Super Bowl, which ultimately led to him being traded to Washington in April 2010.