5 Best Quarterbacks in Philadelphia Eagles History

If you love Wentz, you’ll likely argue he deserves a spot in the top three. Those who still have harsh feelings toward Wentz — and there are plenty of Eagles fans who fall into that category — could take issue with him even being an honorable mention. 

Injuries defined Wentz’s time in Philadelphia, and he’s arguably remembered as a “wasted talent” story. The Eagles won a Super Bowl without him, and things often felt awkward during his five seasons, to the point that veteran leadership had to step in and dispute anonymous sources ripping Wentz’s alleged lack of leadership. 

Had Wentz not gotten hurt in 2017, he might have won the MVP award. However, Wentz staying healthy would have meant we wouldn’t have seen a familiar face complete a Cinderella story. 

5. Nick Foles (2012-2014; 2017-2018)

Foles was a no-brainer for me, which is odd considering that he only started 32 games over parts of five seasons. All that came later makes it easy to forget his 27-2 TD-INT ratio for the NFC East-winning Eagles in 2013. 

But that 2017 playoff run, culminating in the Philly Special, will forever earn him a spot among the all-time Eagles legends. 

With hindsight being 20/20, there are two important questions to ask of Foles’ Eagles career. What would have happened had Chip Kelly built around him rather than trade him for Sam Bradford? And should the Eagles have considered trading Wentz after the 2018 season and moving forward with Foles?

4. Ron Jaworski (1977-1986)

Jaws! Long before he became a prominent voice on ESPN’s NFL coverage, Jaworski spent a decade as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. And while his 175-151 TD-INT ratio isn’t especially impressive, he led the Eagles to four straight winning seasons at one point. 

Most notably, Jaworski and the Eagles reached their first Super Bowl after the 1980 season, though they fell to the Raiders. Jaworski, nicknamed the “Polish Rifle” for obvious reasons, earned All-Pro honors and placed third in MVP voting. 

3. Randall Cunningham (1985-1995)

Although Cunningham places No. 3 on our list, he’s arguably the most iconic quarterback in Eagles history. Just ask anyone who grew up with "Tecmo Super Bowl” and “QB Eagles.” He was to that generation what “PS2 Madden Michael Vick” was for mine. 

Cunningham’s peak came during a four-year stretch from 1987 through 1990, when he threw for 13,460 yards and 98 touchdowns. He rushed for nearly 2,700 yards during that span, placed second in MVP voting twice, and led the Eagles to three playoff appearances. That’ll do. 

2. Jalen Hurts (2020-Present)

Putting Hurts at No. 2 feels wrong, especially considering the ongoing questions about whether he’s a legitimate franchise quarterback. Having led the Eagles to a Super Bowl obviously elevates his case, as do all of the rushing touchdowns, but Hurts’ overall passing numbers are better than one might think. 

Don’t look so surprised. Hurts’ 4.6% touchdown percentage is right up there with everyone but Foles, who leads the pack at 4.9%. He’s only thrown an interception on fewer than 2% of his passes, and he’s 57-25 in the regular season. 

For now, he’s No. 2. Whether or not that’ll be the case two or three years from now is another conversation entirely. 

1. Donovan McNabb (1999-2009)

The choice between McNabb and Hurts was tougher than it should have been, at least from a statistical point of view. A five-time Pro Bowler, McNabb went 98-62-1 over his 11 seasons in Philadelphia and reached the playoffs seven times. He’s also the all-time leader in most of the Eagles’ passing categories, which certainly helped him here.

However, McNabb’s one Super Bowl appearance was a disaster, and his partnership with Terrell Owens ended in flames. Should we hold those black marks against him here? Not when the only real competition he had for the top spot was Hurts.

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