Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is off to a strong start so far in career. He’s made two Pro Bowls, taken the team to the playoffs three seasons straight, and won an NFC Championship. He currently ranks sixth in career passing yards for the franchise, and 15th in career rushing yards.
Hurts should get the chance to climb up on those lists by quite a few spots before he’s done. In 2023, he inked a lucrative contract extension that will keep him in Philly until 2028.
That has to make you happy if you are an Eagles fan. Probably.
Philadelphia is a tough sports town, and 2023 was a disappointing year. After starting 10-1, the Eagles dropped five of their next six games and limped into the playoffs, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers easily dispatched them in the Wild Card round.
Philly fans expect more from their team and their expensive quarterback. As Jalen Hurts likely already knows, the patience of the fans, and the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, will wear thin if he doesn’t lead them to a Super Bowl win.
Here are the five best quarterbacks in Philadelphia Eagles history, by career passing yards. They put up big numbers, but most of them failed it get it done in the big game.
Ranking the Greatest Philadelphia Eagles Quarterbacks in History
5. Norm Snead (1964-1970)
15,672 Yards, 111 Touchdowns, 124 Interceptions
Norm Snead played for five different teams during his 17-year NFL career and had a handful of good seasons. Sadly, none of them were with the Philadelphia Eagles. He managed to make the Pro Bowl in 1965 but posted a dismal 28-50-3 record during his seven seasons in Philly.
Snead had the bad luck of landing with struggling franchises, with the Eagles in particular going through a rough patch in the 1960s. He was a decent quarterback who made four Pro Bowls with three different teams throughout his career.
4. Carson Wentz (2016-2020)
16,811 Yards, 113 Touchdowns, 50 Interceptions
At one point, Carson Wentz looked like the long-term answer at quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played well during his rookie season in 2016, then made the Pro Bowl and won a Bert Bell Award in 2017 as he led the Eagles into the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Wentz, he suffered a knee injury in Week 14, opening the door for Nick Foles and the now-legendary underdog win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Wentz never quite recaptured the magic over three more seasons in Philly. In 2020, the Eagles benched him in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts, and in 2021, they dealt him to the Colts.
3. Randall Cunningham (1985-1995)
22,877 Yards, 150 Touchdowns, 105 Interceptions
Randall Cunningham was the most exciting quarterback of his generation, a dynamic player with the athletic ability to get out of impossible situations. In addition to his passing statistics, he ran for over 4,482 yards and 32 touchdowns during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Though the Eagles would never make it to the Super Bowl during his tenure, Cunningham led the team over a successful stretch in the mid-80s and early ‘90s. During his time in Philadelphia, he made three Pro Bowls, earned three Bert Bell Awards, and was named UPI Offensive Player of the Year in 1990.
2. Ron Jaworski (1977-1986)
26,962 Yards, 175 Touchdowns, 151 Interceptions
Row Jaworski had the swagger you want in a starting quarterback. The Los Angeles Rams drafted him in 1974, where he spent four uneventful seasons before they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. Behind Jaworski and new head coach Dick Vermeil, the Eagles made the post-season in 1978. They returned the following season and won Philadelphia’s first playoff game since the 1960 NFL Championship.
The Philadelphia Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 1980, where they lost to the Oakland Raiders. Jaworski made the Pro Bowl that year and took home a Bert Bell award, but Eagles fans would have to wait more than two decades to get another crack at a Lombardi Trophy.
1. Donovan McNabb (1999-2009)
32,873 Yards, 216 Touchdowns, 100 Interceptions
Donovan McNabb was the quarterback who took the Philadelphia Eagles to their next Super Bowl in 2004. They lost again, this time to the New England Patriots. McNabb’s time with the Eagles marks a winning if not somewhat tumultuous time for the team.
McNabb’s Eagles, led by head coach Andy Reid, appeared in the playoffs eight times between 2000 and 2009. This includes the Super Bowl loss, plus four NFC Championship appearances. By most standards, the Eagles were finding success, but this wasn’t enough to stop Eagle’s brass from dealing McNabb to Washington in 2010 or to prevent them from parting ways with Reid a few seasons later.
Donovan McNabb made six Pro Bowls with the Philadelphia Eagles, and his No. 5 jersey is one of only nine numbers retired by the franchise.
Philadelphia Eagles Passing Leaders Reference
- Philadelphia Eagles Career Passing Leaders | Pro Football Reference
Check out more of my NFL Content on Gridiron Heroics
