Sorry, A.J. Brown, But These Eagles Are Actually 'The Best to Ever Play Here'

While A.J. Brown's long-anticipated split with the Philadelphia Eagles wasn't especially amicable, his tenure in Philly was largely a success. The Eagles got four very good seasons, two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy out of the star receiver before trading him to the New England Patriots this offseason.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Brown leaves Philadelphia believing he's an all-time Eagle.

"The best to ever play here. Always open," Brown wrote on a picture of himself at the Eagles facility, per Garafolo.

Brown was unquestionably great during his time with the Eagles, but we're talking about a storied franchise that has existed since 1933. With all due respect to the three-time Pro Bowler, Brown probably won't even crack the top 10 on most fans' lists of the best all-time Eagles.

Based on factors such as statistical production, individual accolades, team accomplishments and longevity, here are our picks for the 10 best players to ever suit up for the Eagles.

Honorable Mentions

AP Photo/Michael Perez

LeSean McCoy

Considering the Eagles have been around in one form or another for nearly a century—they briefly merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers to form "The Steagles" during World War II—the franchise has had far more than 10 all-time greats.

The list of players who just missed the cut includes the likes of Hall of Fame end and fullback Pete Pihos, Hall of Fame corner Eric Allen, all-time franchise rushing leader LeSean McCoy, longtime starting quarterback Ron Jaworski, six-time Pro Bowler Fletcher Cox, star running backs Wilbert Montgomery and Brian Westbrook, and the always-reliable right tackle Lane Johnson.

One could also make an argument for quarterback Nick Foles, who started only 32 regular-season games for the franchise but led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history and was named Super Bowl LII MVP. That earned him a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field.

This is the group in which Brown might find himself when fans look back on his four-year run with Philadelphia. The former Mississippi standout helped deliver a title and racked up 5,034 regular-season receiving yards.

He had an impressive stint in Philadelphia, but four years is a comparatively brief tenure.

10. QB Randall Cunningham

AP Photo/Fred Jewell

Quarterback Randall Cunningham spent 11 seasons with the Eagles, started 107 regular-season games for the franchise and compiled an impressive 63-43-1 record. The three-time Pro Bowler in Philly was also one of the greatest dual-threat signal-callers of the last century.

Cunningham, who was a second-round draft pick out of UNLV in 1985, was an explosive runner at a time when most NFL quarterbacks were pocket passers. He compiled 4,482 rushing yards throughout his career with the Eagles, and he racked up 942 rushing yards in 1990 alone. To date, Cunningham remains fifth on the all-time rushing list among quarterbacks.

Cunningham wasn't just a scrambler, either. He reached 3,400 passing yards three times with the Eagles and threw for 29,979 yards over the course of his career.

The only real knock on Cunningham's Eagles resume is the fact that he delivered only one playoff win for the franchise. He doubled that number during his time with the Minnesota Vikings.

9. DE Brandon Graham

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Defensive lineman Brandon Graham established himself as an Eagles legend long ago, and there's still a chance he comes back for another run in 2026.

The 2010 first-round pick out of Michigan has just one Pro Bowl on his resume, but his longevity and on-field production are historic. Graham has appeared in a franchise-record 215 regular-season games across 16 years with the Eagles. He has compiled 495 career tackles and 79.5 sacks.

Graham ranks third on the Eagles' all-time sacks list, trailing only Reggie White and Trent Cole.

Most importantly, Graham has been a key contributor to the Eagles' postseason success. He has appeared in 13 playoff games, helped deliver two Super Bowl victories, and he was one of the heroes of Philly's 2017 championship run.

Graham's strip-sack of Tom Brady to help seal Super Bowl LII has earned a special place in Eagles' lore.

8. OT Jason Peters

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

In recent years, the Eagles have developed a reputation for developing standout offensive linemen. That reputation largely dates back to the 2009 arrival of left tackle Jason Peters.

Peters originally signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2004. The Bills traded him to the Eagles for the No. 28 overall pick in the 2009 draft and a fourth-round pick.

From there, he quickly established himself as a franchise legend.

Peters was one of the league's best left tackles during his prime playing years with the Eagles. He started 148 regular-season games across 11 seasons in Philly, was a two-time first-team All-Pro, and made seven straight Pro Bowls with the Eagles when healthy. (He missed the 2012 season with a torn Achilles.)

While Peters started his career in Buffalo and finished it with the Seattle Seahawks, he's best remembered as an Eagle. Though he missed much of the 2017 season with a torn ACL, Peters was part of the squad that delivered the franchise's first Super Bowl victory.

7. QB Donovan McNabb

AP Photo/Sharon Ellman

Donovan McNabb probably doesn't get as much credit as he deserves because he never won a Super Bowl. He came close, leading Philly to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX, but the Eagles fell just short against the Patriots in that one.

However, McNabb's Super Bowl loss shouldn't take away from the fact that he was one of the league's most steady signal-callers for more than a decade in Philadelphia. The six-time Pro Bowler helped deliver five NFC East titles and eight playoff appearances.

McNabb went 9-7 in postseason play and compiled a stellar 92-49-1 record in the regular season.

Selected in 1999, McNabb proved to be the best of the five quarterbacks drafted in Round 1 that year. He went on to top the franchise all-time passing list with 32,873 yards, and he eventually had his No. 5 jersey retired.

McNabb was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2013, just two years after his retirement.

6. WR Harold Carmichael

AP Photo/Gene Puskar, File

A.J. Brown can argue that he's one of the top wide receivers in Eagles history. He's ninth on the franchise's all-time receiving list despite spending only four yeras in Philly.

However, Harold Carmichael was the best wide receiver in Eagles history. He holds the franchise record with 8,978 receiving yards, and while it took him 13 seasons to get there, it's worth remembering that he played in a different era.

Carmichael began his career as a 1971 seventh-round draft pick out of Southern University. NFL offenses weren't as pass-heavy in the '70s and early '80s as they are now, and Carmichael was certainly one of the best of his generation.

The four-time Pro Bowler recorded three 1,000-yard seasons and was a part of four Eagles playoff teams. He also led the NFL in receiving yards (1,116) in 1973, a feat that Brown has never accomplished.

In 1987, Carmichael was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame. In 2020, he was made a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

5. C Jason Kelce

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Offensive linemen rarely possess the sort of stardom that transcends sports. Longtime Eagles center Jason Kelce is a rare exception.

It helps that Kelce also has a famous brother in Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, but the 13-year starter is a celebrity in his own right. He's still going strong as a member of the media and with the New Heights podcast that he and his brother co-host.

However, Kelce is on this list because of his on-field play. The six-time first-team All-Pro is arguably the best center of the modern NFL era, and he started a whopping 205 games for the Eagles (including the playoffs).

Kelce helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl in 2017, and he was a part of their 2022 run back to the big game. The 2011 sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati also managed to retire while still at the top of his game. He was a first-team All-Pro in each of his last three seasons.

While he isn't yet eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Kelce has a great chance to be elected when he is first eligible in 2029.

4. RB Steve Van Buren

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Steve Van Buren was one of the first faces of the Eagles' franchise and one of the NFL's earliest star running backs.

A first-round pick out of LSU in 1944, Van Buren received the first of his five first-team All-Pro selections as a rookie. He led the league in rushing for the first time in his second season, and he went on to win three other league rushing titles.

Van Buren also became the first player in league history to rush for more than 10 touchdowns in a season, which he did in 1945, 1947 and 1949.

Van Buren spent eight seasons in Philadelphia, and he helped deliver three playoff appearances and the Eagles' first two NFL championships.

Seventy-five years after he last played, Van Buren remains fourth on the Eagles' all-time rushing list with 5,860 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 and has had his No. 15 jersey retired by the franchise.

3. S Brian Dawkins

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Safety Brian Dawkins is almost unquestionably the best Eagle to play this century, though his career began back in 1996.

The 1996 second-round pick out of Clemson immediately established himself as a defensive force in Philadelphia. He made his first of seven Pro Bowls as an Eagle in 1999, and he was a four-time first-team All-Pro with the franchise.

Dwkins was a part of eight Eagles playoff teams, including the 2004 squad that reached Super Bowl XXXIX. He finished his career with the Denver Broncos, but he compiled 914 tackles, 21 sacks, 45 tackles for loss, 34 interceptions and 35 forced fumbles during his 13 years with the Eagles.

During his prime playing days, Dawkins carved out a reputation as one of the league's hardest hitters and most-feared defensive backs. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018 and had his No. 20 jersey retired by the Eagles in 2012.

2. DE Reggie White

AP Photo/Peter Morgan

While defensive end Reggie White didn't take the top spot in these rankings, he's arguably the most well-known Eagle of all time.

White began his pro career with the USFL's Memphis Showboats. Following the league's collapse, he signed with Philadelphia after the Eagles bought out his Memphis contract.

In Philly, he became an instant sensation.

Arguably the game's most feared defender at the time, White racked up 124 sacks and earned six first-team All-Pro nods during his eight seasons with the Eagles. He was the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year and made the Pro Bowl every season after his first.

Of course, White didn't spend his entire NFL career in Philadelphia. He became the NFL's first big-ticket free agent in 1993 when he joined the Green Bay Packers, and he had nearly as much success during his six years in Green Bay as he had in Philly. White also won his lone Super Bowl ring with the Packers in 1996.

Still, White is an undisputed Eagles legend. He remains the franchise's all-time sacks leader by a huge margin, his No. 92 Eagles jersey is retired, and he was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2006.

1. LB/C Chuck Bednarik

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A star of the ironman era of football, Chuck Bednarik got it done for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. A starting center and difference-making defender, Bednarik more than lived up to his billing as the first overall pick in the 1949 draft.

The Penn product spent his entire 14-year career with the Eagles and was a six-time first-team All-Pro. While he was one of the league's better centers during his career, he became a star because of his prowess as a hard-hitting linebacker.

"As an offensive center, big Chuck was a bulldozing blocker, both on rushing and passing plays," his bio reads on the Pro Football Hall of Fame website. "On defense, he was a true scientist in his field and the kind of tackler who could literally stop even the finest enemy runners 'on a dime.'"

Bednarik appeared in 169 regular-season games (166 starts) for the Eagles and was a two-time NFL champion. He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1967 and has had his No. 60 jersey retired by Philadelphia. He's also the namesake of the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to the best defensive player in college football.

While Bednarik might not be as famous as White these days, his combination of longevity, durability and individual and team success makes him our pick for the best Eagles player ever.