Ranking top 9 Eagles to wear kelly green uniforms − and some who never had the chance

PHILADELPHIA − It's easy to see that current Eagles such as Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Philadelphia native D'Andre Swift are excited to wear the same kelly green jerseys worn by Eagles greats over the years.

The Eagles announced Monday that the team will wear the alternate jerseys in two home games this season, against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night, Oct. 22, and against the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 26.

But other than the opening game of the 2010 season, the Eagles haven't worn the kelly green jerseys since the end of the 1995 season. In 1996, Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie switched to the midnight green uniforms that the Eagles are using to this date.

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That means legendary Eagles players such as quarterback Donovan McNabb, safety Brian Dawkins, running back Brian Westbrook and defensive end Hugh Douglas, among others, never had the chance to wear the jerseys.

Players like Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jason Peters wore the uniform for the one game in 2010 to honor the 50th anniversary of the 1960 championship team. So did Graham, who was a rookie in 2010 playing in his first career NFL game. He's the only current Eagle to have worn the jersey.

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Still, the Eagles won three championships with the kelly green uniforms − 1948, 1949 and 1960. The kelly green threads unveiled this year are based on the color scheme worn in the early 1990s. The Eagles wore slight variations of the lighter shade of green since the 1930s.

Here, then, are the 9 best players to wear kelly green in Eagles' history. In honor of the 1990s, this list skews toward that era.

9. Wilbert Montgomery, running back

Montgomery, who played for the Eagles from 1977-84, was the franchise leader in rushing until McCoy passed him in 2014. He'll be long remembered for his 194 yards rushing in the January 1981 NFC Championship game against the Cowboys. That led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl berth.

8. Ron Jaworski, quarterback

"Jaws," as he was affectionately known, quarterbacked the Eagles to their first Super Bowl appearance, back in January 1981. He played for the Eagles from 1977-86. Jaworski was the team leader in completions, TDs and yards when he retired. Jaworski is still second in team history to McNabb in yards passing and touchdowns.

7. Mike Quick, wide receiver

Quick's kelly green jersey was immortalized twice last season − when Eagles coach Nick Sirianni wore it to his postgame press conference following a Week 3 game in Washington and last December when A.J. Brown broke Quick's franchise record for receiving yards in a season. Quick set the mark in 1983 with 1,409 yards receiving. Brown finished with 1,496 yards.

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Quick, who played for the Eagles from 1982-90, was selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He ranks third in team history with 6,464 yards receiving.

6. Pete Retzlaff, tight end

Retzlaff was among the first tight ends in NFL history to be a threat as a receiver. He played for the Eagles from 1956-66 and was one of the star players on the 1960 NFL championship team. Even though Retzlaff played in an era where the forward pass wasn't a big part of the offense, he still ranks second in Eagles' history in receiving yards and third in receptions.

5. Harold Carmichael, wide receiver

Carmichael, of course, is still the Eagles' all-time leading receiver, both in yards and receptions. Carmichael, at 6-foot-8, was a prime target for Eagles QBs when he played for them from 1971-83. Carmichael, who was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, is still tied for the team record in consecutive games played with 162. Kelce, who has played in 139 straight games, would have to come back for the 2024 season to pass him.

4. Steve Van Buren, running back

Van Buren was never better than in the Eagles' two championship wins in 1948 and 1949. In the 1948 game, Van Buren scored the only TD of the game, which was played in a blinding snowstorm. In the 1949 game, he rushed for 196 yards. Van Buren, who played for the Eagles from 1944-51, is still fourth in team history in rushing yards, and he had the most yards rushing in a game (205) until McCoy passed him with 217 yards in the famous "snow game" in 2013.

3. Randall Cunningham, quarterback

Cunningham was the early prototype for Hurts as a quarterback who could be as dangerous running the ball as throwing it. Cunningham played for the Eagles from 1985-95, and he's still the NFL's all-time rushing leader for a quarterback, with 4,928 yards. Eventually, someone like Hurts, Lamar Jackson and/or Justin Fields will pass him. And Cunningham showed he can do one more thing that Hurts can't, or at least hasn't yet: punt. Cunningham has the Eagles' record for the longest punt at 91 yards.

2. Chuck Bednarik, center, linebacker

"Concrete Charlie" was known for many things, but most of all for being the best two-way player in NFL history. For the Eagles, his career coincided with two championships − as a rookie in 1949 and toward the end of his career in 1960. Bednarik was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, still the most in team history. Bednarik is also known for a vicious hit on Frank Gifford in 1960. He played every minute of the 1960 championship game at center and linebacker.

1. Reggie White, defensive end

White played for the Eagles for eight seasons before leaving as a free agent in 1993. During that time, White was easily the best defensive player in the Eagles' history. He's the team's all-time sack leader with 124 in only 121 games, including a team-record 21 in 1987. White has 38½ more sacks than the Eagles’ No. 2 all-time sack leader. White was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1991.

No one personifies the Eagles' kelly green uniforms more than White.

Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Ranking top 9 Eagles in kelly green, and some who never got the chance