The Philadelphia Eagles started the decade with Donovan McNabb as their quarterback and Andy Reid as their head coach; they ended it with McNabb’s onetime backup, Doug Pederson, as the only coach in franchise history to win a Super Bowl.
In between, we’ve seen quite a lot. There was the Michael Vick resurgence, the Dream Team, a smoothie craze behind a coach that loved the hurry-up offense, Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, Foles again, and then Wentz again. There was The Philly Special, a strip sack of Tom Brady, and a parade down Broad Street.
I looked at several factors when ranking the best players. Sustained success is huge. A few games or one season of strong play is terrific, but multiple years in a row is even better. Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections are easy barometers for judging individual accolades, as are any positional statistics you’ll find like passing yards, touchdowns, or sacks. In keeping with the decade of the 2010s, I only looked at what a player did from Week 1 of the regular season and on.
25. Asante Samuel, CB, 2010-2011
Stats: 25 games, 10 INT, 1 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD, 60 tackles
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl
Asante Samuel is the only player to make this list with just two seasons in the 2010s in an Eagles uniform, but his impact can’t be denied. Samuel was a bonafide ballhawk, registering 10 interceptions in just 25 games – at one point picking off seven passes in a seven-game span. His game-sealing interception in the final minutes of a 26-24 win over Indianapolis in ’10 was the first (and only) time the Eagles ever beat Peyton Manning.
24. Todd Herremans, G, 2010-2014
Stats: 64 games
One of the most underrated Eagles players of the last 20 years, Todd Herremans played everywhere on the offensive line. After suiting up at tackle for four games as a rookie in 2005, Herremans moved to left guard where he played for the next six years. When the team needed him to fill in at both tackle spots in 2011, he did so, then shifted to right tackle in 2012, then to right guard in 2013 and 2014. Herremans’ 63 games started are the fourth-most by any Eagles offensive lineman this decade.
23. Nigel Bradham, LB, 2016-2019
Stats: 58 games, 2 INT, 3 FF, 4 FR, 2 TD, 5 sacks, 348 tackles
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
Howie Roseman very rarely pays top dollar for a linebacker, but he felt comfortable dishing out a five-year, $40 million deal for Bradham before the 2016 campaign. Bradham has provided stability to a linebacking corps that has seen too much turnover over the last several years. It was Bradham who recorded the tipped interception in the end zone in the Monday Night Football win over Aaron Rodgers this past season.
22. Darren Sproles, RB, 2014-2019
Stats: 1,331 rushing yards, 12 rushing TD; 175 receptions, 1,459 receiving yards, 5 rec TD; 1,355 punt return yards, 4 punt return TD; 4,194 all-purpose yards, 21 total TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl LII champion
GMs don’t usually trade for almost 31-year-old running backs, but Howie Roseman’s decision to do so back in 2014 was a phenomenal decision. As a part-time player, Sproles provided a spark as a runner, catching passes out of the backfield, and particularly as a punt returner. He ran back two punts for touchdowns in each of his first two seasons in Philly, then set a career-high in punt return average (13.2) in his third. Even with his last three years mired by injury, he will go down as an all-time fan favorite in Philadelphia.
21. Alshon Jeffery, WR, 2017-2019
Stats: 165 receptions, 2,122 receiving yards, 19 rec TD
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
It’s been a love-hate relationship between Alshon Jeffery and the Eagles fanbase. He dropped the pass to end the 2018 NFC Divisional loss to the New Orleans Saints. He was very likely the ‘Alshonymous’ source criticizing Carson Wentz this past October. And a December Lisfranc injury may keep him out heading into the 2020 season, during which his $16 million salary is fully guaranteed – making him all but untradeable.
But let’s not forget what he did during his first year in Philly. Jeffery turned down a multi-year offer from Minnesota to come play with Wentz, then he went out and posted a 57/789/9 statline in 16 games before playing his best ball in the playoffs. Jeffery caught a pair of touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game rout over Minnesota including a spectacular 53-yard touchdown. And then he got the scoring started in the Super Bowl with a 34-yard jump ball touchdown, an achievement made even more impressive when it was revealed he played the entire season with a torn labrum. Those two games will keep him a part of Philadelphia lore forever.
20. Michael Vick, QB, 2010-2013
Stats: 42 games, 59.6 completion percentage, 9,898 passing yards, 56 TD, 33 INT, 87.6 passer rating; 1,903 rushing yards, 13 rush TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, 2010 AP Comeback Player of Year
The Michael Vick era in Philadelphia was short, unexpected, and full of extreme highs and lows. But the highlights were as impressive as you’ll see from a quarterback in this league.
The six-touchdown outburst against Washington on Monday Night Football in 2010 was true vintage Vick. He showed off his cannon arm and dynamic legs, ultimately putting together the greatest single-game fantasy performance by a QB in NFL history. He engineered the Miracle at the Meadowlands comeback against the New York Giants a few weeks later. And he unofficially finished second in the MVP voting behind Tom Brady, finally putting together the kind of season that his talent suggested he could do.
Vick didn’t prove to be the long-term answer in Philly, as he was the quarterback during the forgettable Dream Team season. And surprisingly enough, it was Nick Foles – not Vick – who ran Chip Kelly’s offense to near-perfection in 2013. Still, Vick’s resurrection as both a player and a person was fun to watch dor a few years.
19. Mychal Kendricks, LB, 2012-2017
Stats: 85 games, 3 INT, 6 FF, 5 FR, 14 sacks, 458 tackles
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
Mychal Kendricks’ best season was as a second-year player in 2013, as he was all over the field. Kendricks finished with three interceptions, four fumble recoveries, four sacks, and two forced fumbles. Those are outstanding numbers. Kendricks was never quite the same player after that, settling into a starting role without flashing the Pro Bowl ability he had once shown.
18. Rodney McLeod, S, 2016-2019
Stats: 49 games, 8 INT, 4 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 221 tackles
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
Rodney McLeod is one of a handful of quality free agent signings by Howie Roseman that set the tone for the Super Bowl team. McLeod has twice started all 16 games for the Eagles and his absence was felt during the 2018 campaign when he was sidelined due to a torn MCL. The defense rotated Corey Graham and Tre Sullivan, even trying Avonte Maddox at safety. None of those players were McLeod though. And who can forget McLeod’s spectacular stop of a leaping Brandin Cooks in the Super Bowl.
As it stands, McLeod is hitting free agency after having signed a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal for 2019.
17. Jeremy Maclin, WR, 2009-2014
Stats: 75 games, 343 receptions, 4,771 receiving yards, 36 rec TD
For six years, Jeremy Maclin was a high-end No. 2 wide receiver who flirted with No. 1 status in 2014 before leaving in free agency. Maclin never made a Pro Bowl but twice he reached double-digit touchdowns and he posted a 85/1,318/10 line in his final year in Philadelphia. It would have been nice to see the Eagles retain him but it’s tough to fault the organization for not matching the $55 million Andy Reid gave him to join Kansas City.
16. Trent Cole, DE/OLB, 2010-2014
Stats: 76 games, 38.5 sacks, 9 FF, 1 FR, 7 PD, 1 safety, 199 tackles
Trent Cole’s ranking here is only the back half of his Philly career, but he remained a productive player into his thirties, and he showed the ability to line up as both a 4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker. Cole started the decade with consecutive 10-sack seasons and registered 38.5 in the 2010s, the third-most of any Eagles player. He also played the run incredibly well and frequently ranked among the best edge rushers via PFF.
15. Connor Barwin, OLB, 2013-2016
Stats: 64 games, 31.5 sacks, 6 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 210 tackles
Connor Barwin was one of the bright spots of the Chip Kelly era, ushering the Eagles out of the Dream Team saga and into the new Doug Pederson regime. Barwin suited up for all 64 games in a Philly uniform and made the Pro Bowl after a 14.5 sack campaign in 2014. He was a fan favorite, an extremely active participant in community work, and is now back on the team’s payroll as a special assistant to GM Howie Roseman.
14. Brent Celek, TE, 2007-2017
Stats: 175 games, 398 receptions, 4,998 receiving yards, 31 rec TD
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
Brent Celek epitomized everything Philadelphia fans love – he was a hard-working blue-collar player who wasn’t afraid to do the blocking and other dirty work required of a tight end. Celek spanned 11 years with the Eagles, suiting up for 175 regular season games and another nine in the postseason.
Celek was remarkably durable, missing just a single game due to injury during his tenure. He caught three touchdowns in the 2008 playoffs. His 65-yard touchdown scamper started the comeback rally against the Giants in 2010. And he went out a Super Bowl champion, retiring after the team’s 41-33 win over New England.
13. Evan Mathis, G, 2011-2014
Stats: 56 games
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro
The Dream Team offseason brought a slew of disappointing veterans – Vince Young, Ronnie Brown, Nnamdi Asomugha, etc. But Evan Mathis was a rare gem and for four years, he was the NFL’s best guard. Per Pro Football Focus, these were Mathis’ positional rankings among his fellow guards: 1st, 1st, 1st, and 3rd. That’s good, right?
Mathis probably would have played well into the Doug Pederson era had the mad scientist smoothie king named Chip Kelly not decided his system was more important than one of the game’s best linemen. Mathis got the last laugh though, winning a Super Bowl in 2015 with Denver.
12. Brandon Brooks, G, 2016-2019
Stats: 62 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl LII champion
There’s absolutely no way the Eagles would have won the Super Bowl without the Brandon Brooks signing, a move by Howie Roseman that will go on to one day be considered one of the greatest free agent signings in NFL history. At 6’5”, 345 pounds, Brooks is a massive human being and he’s been a road grader at right guard, earning three consecutive Pro Bowl selections to date.
His 2019 campaign was one of the most remarkable and unsung achievements in Eagles history – he started all 16 games just eight months after tearing his Achilles tendon. If he keeps playing at a high level for several more seasons, he’s an Eagles Wall of Fame candidate.
11. DeSean Jackson, WR, 2010-2013, 2019
Stats: 59 games, 241 receptions, 4,208 receiving yards, 23 rec TD
Honors: 2 Pro Bowls
Perhaps no Eagles player since Randall Cunningham has accumulated a highlight tape quite like DeSean Jackson. There’s the walkoff punt return that was voted the greatest regular season play in NFL history. There’s the 88-yard bomb to start the Monday Night Football rout against Washington. There’s the 91-yarder against Dallas in which he fell backwards into the end zone.
Even after Jackson was unceremoniously released, spent time in Washington and Tampa Bay, and then returned to Philly, he still had enough left in the tank to haul in a pair of 50-plus yard touchdown grabs in his first-ever game with Carson Wentz. When it’s all said and done, there’s a chance Jackson may go down as the greatest deep threat to ever play the game.
10. Brandon Graham, DE/OLB, 2010-2019
Stats: 143 games, 51 sacks, 17 FF, 6 FR, 7 PD, 368 tackles
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
There’s arguably never been a career in Philadelphia like that of Brandon Graham’s. Graham has seen the lowest of the lows, registering just three total sacks and having to shed the bust label after his first two seasons. Since then, he’s become a starter, proven his worth at multiple positions (4-3 defensive end and 3-4 outside linebacker), earned two separate contract extensions, picked up over 50 sacks while playing the run equally well, and strip sacked Tom Brady to win the Super Bowl.
9. Nick Foles, QB, 2012-2014, 2017-2018
Stats: 40 games, 62.9 completion percentage, 8,703 passing yards, 58 TD, 23 INT, 93.2 passer rating; 1,903 rushing yards, 13 rush TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl LII champion, Super Bowl MVP
You know the story of Nick Foles. He started just 38 games in an Eagles uniform, played for all three coaches, and twice left Philadelphia for a new team – once via trade and once via free agency. But when he was here, he did enough that a legitimate argument could be made for Foles as the most popular athlete in Philadelphia sports history.
He caught The Philly Special and won Super Bowl MVP. He torched the Minnesota Vikings defense in an NFC Championship Game win. He threw a last-second game-winning TD pass to beat Chicago in the Wild Card Game the following year. And that doesn’t even touch on the Chip Kelly era, when he posted his famous 27:2 line, threw seven touchdowns in a game, and led the NFL in passer rating.
If this was a list solely on legacy and impact on the franchise, Foles would easily be #1. But in terms of best overall players of the decade, there are a handful of perennial starters that consistently ranked among the top five to 10 players at their position and thus take the higher spots over Foles.
8. LeSean McCoy, RB, 2010-2014
Stats: 6,155 rushing yards, 40 rushing TD; 260 receptions, 1,974 receiving yards, 10 rec TD; 8,129 scrimmage yards, 50 total TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 2x All-Pro
Hall of Fame talents like LeSean McCoy are pretty special players. In five years with the Eagles this decade, McCoy averaged 1,231 rushing yards, 4.7 yards per carry, and 10 total touchdowns per season. His highlight reel is breathtaking, whether he was stopping on a dime and making defenders miss a la Barry Sanders or putting the team on his back in the Snow Bowl.
McCoy reached the end zone a franchise-record 20 times in 2011, then led the whole NFL in rushing yards (1,607) in 2013. Each season he was named a First-Team All-Pro. If he hadn’t been traded away prior to the 2015 season, there’s a chance McCoy may have been a key member of the Super Bowl championship team.
7. Lane Johnson, OT, 2013-2019
Stats: 92 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Super Bowl LII champion
There weren’t a lot of good feelings when the Chip Kelly era ended, but his first-ever draft pick was an absolute slam dunk. The 2013 NFL draft was historically awful – think EJ Manuel, Dee Milliner, D.J. Hayden, Dion Jordan, and Luke Joeckel – but the Lane Johnson selection played a pivotal role in the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl championship.
Johnson is the NFL’s best right tackle, a three-time Pro Bowler, and as good of a run blocker as he is in pass protection. Johnson is a freakishly athletic man who ran a 4.72 40-yard dash at 303 pounds, and he’s a big reason the Eagles are ninth in rushing yards since ’14 despite having a different leading rusher every single year.
6. Carson Wentz, QB, 2016-2019
Stats: 56 games, 63.8 completion percentage, 14,191 passing yards, 97 TD, 35 INT, 92.7 passer rating; 785 rushing yards, 3 rush TD
Honors: 1 Pro Bowl, Super Bowl LII champion
Franchise quarterbacks are worth their weight in gold, and the legacy of Carson Wentz will only continue to grow as his career advances. Wentz had a strong rookie season, then followed it up with an MVP-caliber season that put the Eagles in position for home field advantage and an eventual Super Bowl championship. Even with the injuries he’s dealt with, this is a guy who threw a touchdown on a torn ACL, and then played longer than we all know with a serious back injury the following campaign. His physical tools are off the charts, he’s won 63 percent of his starts since 2017, and he’s still just 27 years old. Once he builds on a playoff resume that has yet to be formed (through no fault of his own), a case will be made for Wentz as the greatest quarterback in franchise history.
5. Zach Ertz, TE, 2013-2019
Stats: 106 games, 525 receptions, 5,743 receiving yards, 35 rec TD
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, Super Bowl LII champion
Zach Ertz was considered a luxury pick when the Eagles drafted him back in 2013 and now he’s building up a Hall of Fame caliber resume. Ertz is one of five NFL players with 70 receptions and 800 receiving yards in each of the last five seasons, and his ’18 campaign included a tight end record 116 receptions. And he scored the most famous touchdown in Philadelphia sports history, beating Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty one-on-one to catch what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII.
4. Malcolm Jenkins, S, 2014-2019
Stats: 49 games, 8 INT, 4 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD, 2 sacks, 221 tackles
Honors: Super Bowl LII champion
You’re looking at the greatest free agent signing in franchise history. A failed first-round and injury-prone corner in New Orleans, Malcolm Jenkins has emerged as the voice, the leader, and the heart and soul of the Eagles defense. Your captain plays every snap every year – literally – and does so at multiple positions. He’s a free safety by name, but you’ll find him at strong safety, slot corner, out wide at traditional cornerback, or as a box linebacker. Jenkins is one of four defensive players to have started all 96 regular season games since 2014, and if you include his postseason, he’s 102 for 102. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, a Super Bowl champion, and one of the league’s all-around good guys.
3. Jason Kelce, C, 2011-2019
Stats: 126 games
Honors: 3 Pro Bowls, 3x All-Pro, Super Bowl LI champion
How good is Jason Kelce? He’s the only player in the entire NFL to have started every single game and been a First-Team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons. Kelce’s athleticism is a major reason why the Eagles have essentially employed a revolving door of running backs over the last half-decade. Kelce is an undersized center which makes him perfect for getting to the second level to blast linebackers out of the way and create holes for the running game. Oh, and he gave us the greatest speech we’ve ever heard in our lives.
2. Fletcher Cox, DT, 2012-2019
Stats: 125 games, 48 sacks, 11 FF, 11 FR, 13 PD, 2 TD, 367 tackles
Honors: 5 Pro Bowls, 1 All-Pro, Super Bowl LII champion
Andy Reid’s last-ever first round pick is shaping up to be one of the best players in franchise history. Fletcher Cox is a one-man wrecking crew who’s suited up at both 4-3 defensive tackle and 3-4 defensive end, and he holds the distinction of being the first $100 million defensive player to win a Super Bowl. Cox has few weaknesses. He’s stout against the run. He’s a premier pass rusher who can take on double teams and still register sacks. At this point, he’s 29 years old with five Pro Bowl selections and no injury history. If he keeps this up, we’re looking at a future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
1. Jason Peters, OT, 2010-2019
Stats: 125 games
Honors: 6 Pro Bowls, 2x All-Pro, Super Bowl LII champion
The greatest player of the decade isn’t Nick Foles or Carson Wentz or even a skill position player like DeSean Jackson or LeSean McCoy; rather, it’s a former undrafted college tight end who transitioned to left tackle upon reaching the NFL. Jason Peters has been The Bodyguard since Andy Reid traded a first round pick for him in 2009. He’s the only offensive player to have lasted the complete decade for the Eagles, blocking for quarterbacks from Kevin Kolb to Michael Vick to Nick Foles to Mark Sanchez to Sam Bradford to Carson Wentz.
Peters has made six Pro Bowls and earned multiple First-Team AP All-Pro selections this decade. Twice, he’s rebounded from devastating injuries – coming back from a double Achilles tendon tear in 2012 to play all 16 games in ’13 and earn an All-Pro selection, then returning from a torn ACL/MCL during the Super Bowl season to start every game in ’18. At this point, Peters’ status with the team is most certainly year to year, but every time you think the team is ready to move on, he comes back. Even in his 16th NFL season at age 37, Peters was an above-average left tackle in 2019.
He’s going to make the Eagles Wall of Fame. He’s established himself as one of the greatest undrafted players in franchise history. And there’s a good chance he’s going to join all-time franchise greats like Reggie White and Chuck Bednarik in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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