Philadelphia Eagles Top 5 Quarterbacks of All Time

Fly Eagles fly … on the road to victory! The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most passionate, disgruntled, and tortured fan bases in the NFL. I know because I am part of it. Started in 1933, the franchise has only won four championships, but they have been close many times. They are 6th all time in regular season victories (624) and tied for 7th in postseason wins (25). Since 2000, only the New England Patriots have had more conference championship appearances (13) than the Eagles (7). This franchise has had some of football’s most legendary names, but this list will just focus on the signal callers. Who are the best QBs in the history of Franklin Field, Veterans Stadium, and Lincoln Financial Field? Some of these slingers made the cut because they put up big numbers, and others made the cut because they led their team to championship glory. Before someone gets thrown in jail at the Vet, here are some of the top quarterbacks in Philadelphia Eagles history.

The Dutchman only captained the ship three seasons in Philadelphia, but he gave the Eagles one of the best years in franchise history. Norm Van Brocklin was the Eagles QB from 1958-1960, and he only collected 7,497 passing yards as a Bird, but he did lead them to the NFL Championship in 1960. You remember … the famous game where Chuck Bednarik wouldn’t let Jim Taylor up until the clock expired. That season was Van Brocklin’s final year in the league, and he was the NFL’s MVP with 2,471 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and a career-best 86.5 passer rating. He played in a much more grounded era, pun intended, so quarterbacks didn’t compile crazy passing stats. This man had the clutch gene as he had four game-winning drives in that championship season. Prior to his time in green, the Dutchman had a great run with the Los Angeles Rams that included another NFL title. A Hall of Famer and nine-time Pro Bowler, Norm Van Brocklin’s time as an Eagle may have been brief, but it was very impactful, and that gets him a place with the top quarterbacks in franchise history.

---

If you have a statue in front of Lincoln Financial Field, then you have to be on this list. Nick Foles is the only quarterback in Philadelphia Eagles history to lead the team to a Super Bowl victory. Foles was the MVP of Super Bowl LII when the Eagles upended the New England Patriots 41-33. That glorious night St. Nick threw for 373 yards, 3 touchdowns, and he caught a touchdown on the famous “Philly Special” play. This man has folklore status for stepping in for the injured Carson Wentz and leading the Birds on that historic title run. Some forget that Nick had two tours of duty in midnight green. He played in Philadelphia from 2012-2014; that included a phenomenal 2013 season. Filling in for Michael Vick, #9 went for 27 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a 119.2 passer rating as Philadelphia won the NFC East crown. Remember his record-tying seven-touchdown game that year? In five seasons as an Eagle, the 6 ‘6 man under center compiled impressive numbers: 8,703 passing yards, 58 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, a 93.2 passer rating, a 21-11 regular-season record, and 4 playoff wins. Nick Foles is a Philadelphia immortal for bringing them their only Super Bowl win in franchise history, so that and his gaudy stats make him one of the best quarterbacks in Eagles history.

---

You could make a strong case that Randall Cunningham was the most electrifying player in the NFL for a three-year span. He was dubbed The Ultimate Weapon on a Sports Illustrated cover in 1989 because of his athleticism, laser arm, and scrambling ability. From 1988-1990, #12 averaged stellar yearly numbers: 3,558 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 729 rushing yards, and 5 rushing touchdowns. He also led the Birds to the playoffs each of those years and had two runner-up finishes in the AP MVP voting (in 1990 he was actually named MVP by the PFWA). Unofficially, he led the league in highlight-reel plays during that era: the Monday night moment evading Carl Banks, the 95-yard bomb from the Buffalo end zone, and his 91-yard punt at the Meadowlands to name a few. His 1-4 record in the playoffs hurts his Philadelphia legacy a bit, but in his decade as an Eagle, Randall accrued 22,887 passing yards and 150 passing touchdowns (both 3rd in team history). He also holds the franchise mark with 18 4th-quarter comebacks. In NFL history, this native of Las Vegas is 5th all time in rushing yards for a quarterback (4,928). It’s important to note that major injuries slowed him in his final seasons at the Vet or he might be the franchise leader in some of these categories. Any devoted Eagles fan should appreciate the magic Randall Cunningham provided the city, and that solidly makes him one of the top quarterbacks in Philadelphia history.

---

Some players ooze Philadelphia grit, and one of them was Jaws. Not only is Ron Jaworski 2nd in Eagles history in passing yards (26,963) and passing touchdowns (175), but when he retired from the NFL after the 1989 season, Jaworski owned the all-time consecutive games streak for quarterbacks (116). When you have played the majority of your career in a division with Lawrence Taylor, Randy White, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, and Dexter Manley, that is majorly impressive, especially considering he was sacked 344 times in kelly green. Jaworski was tough, but he could throw as well. The Polish Rifle had four 3,000-yard seasons as an Eagle. He played on some poor teams in his career, but he did get the Birds to their first Super Bowl in 1980 (a loss to the Oakland Raiders). That year #7 had 3,529 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and finished 3rd in the MVP voting. Another career highlight of this Veteran of the Vet was a 99-yard touchdown pass to Mike Quick in 1985 to seal an overtime win. Ron Jaworski was the man under center for 10 years in Philadelphia, and he will be remembered as one of the top quarterbacks ever for the franchise.

---

In the infamous 1999 NFL Draft, five quarterbacks were taken in the first twelve picks. There is no question who had the most successful NFL career: Donovan McNabb. When the Eagles chose this QB from Syracuse second overall, they set the franchise up for the next decade. Donovan led the Birds to eight playoff appearances, five NFC Championship Games, and one Super Bowl in his 11 years as an Eagle. That included five Pro Bowls and a runner-up MVP finish in 2000. He was an exquisite combination of elite scrambler and powerful passer. #5 had eight 3,000-yard passing seasons in midnight green, and he also rushed for 3,249 yards as an Eagles quarterback (11th all time among QBs – 3,459). His best season may have been 2004 when the Eagles finally got to the Super Bowl; that year he lit up the sky with 3,875 yards, 31 TDs, and a career-best 104.6 passer rating. Like Randall a decade before him, McNabb had several signature plays: the shimmy shake touchdown run at Washington, the 4th and 26 miracle throw against the Packers, and the seemingly endless Monday Night scramble in Dallas were some beauties. Because of some notable postseason losses, many Philly fans don’t hold him in high regard, but statistically he is without a doubt the best quarterback in Eagles history: 92 regular-season wins, 9 playoff wins, 32,873 passing yards, 216 passing touchdowns, and 22 game-winning drives. Plus, as I always note to McNabb haters, you have to win big games to get to big games. Anyway, the Philadelphia Eagles have had some great quarterbacks in their history, and Donovan McNabb is very high up on that list.

---

---

Join our Sports Reference Community

Of Statheads:

Subscribe to Stathead, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. With over 80 different search tools for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, you’ve got infinite answers at your finger tips.

With Our Email Newsletters:

Sign up for our newsletter and get curated stats, recaps, and more from the Pro Football Reference to your inbox every morning. No commitment, unsubscribe at any time.

On Social Media:

Stay connected with Pro Football Reference on social media! Bringing you stats, trivia, and more on all our channels daily.

Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – TikTok – YouTube – Reddit – LinkedIn

Follow the rest of the Sports Reference sites on social here.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 5th, 2024 at 5:13 pm and is filed under Top Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.