ESPN just dropped their All-Quarter Century NFL team, and Eagles fans have plenty to celebrate. Four Philadelphia legends made the cut for this elite 53-man roster spanning 2000–2024, proving once again that the Birds have consistently produced some of the league's most dominant players.
Jason Kelce was the obvious choice at center, and honestly, it wasn't even close. His six first-team All-Pro selections since 2000 are more than double what any other center achieved during that span. The man anchored the Super Bowl LII championship team and basically invented the tush push that every team now tries to copy. ESPN called picking him “fairly straightforward,” which tells you everything about how dominant Kelce was at his position. His 193 career starts and that legendary Super Bowl speech cemented his place in Eagles lore forever.
Lane Johnson earned his spot as one of the two right tackles selected, leading all players at his position with six Pro Bowl selections. The guy has been absolutely elite over the past few seasons — in 2023, he led all tackles in run block win rate while ranking ninth in pass blocking. Last season, he was fifth among tackles in both categories. Two Super Bowl wins and 158 career starts later, Johnson has proven he's one of the most reliable and dominant tackles of his generation.
Brian Dawkins brought that signature Eagles intensity to the safety position, and his numbers are just ridiculous. During his time contributing to this 25-year span, Weapon X racked up 22.5 sacks, 29 forced fumbles and 25 interceptions. Among defensive backs since 2000, he's second in forced fumbles and third in sacks — numbers that show just how much chaos he created every Sunday. When Dawkins was patrolling the secondary from 2000–2008, the Eagles defense ranked third in the league in EPA allowed per dropback. The man was a game-changer in every sense of the word.
Then there’s Terrell Owens, whose brief but explosive Eagles tenure earned him recognition among the six wide receivers selected. T.O.'s overall numbers during the evaluation period are staggering: 12,627 receiving yards and 123 touchdowns across his career. He led the league in receiving touchdowns three times and had three second-place finishes in advanced metrics. But for Eagles fans, it's all about that Super Bowl XXXIX performance — 122 yards just seven weeks after breaking his leg. ESPN specifically mentioned that game when explaining why Owens made the team, noting he would “play through any injury.” His 80.3 receiving yards per game ranks sixth among receivers with at least 50 games since 2000.
Another Eagles connection on the wide receiver list is Julio Jones, who had a brief stint in Philadelphia during the 2023 season. While his Eagles tenure was short and relatively quiet — coming at the tail end of his illustrious career — Jones absolutely deserved his spot on this All-Quarter Century team based on his dominant prime years. ESPN noted that when looking at the three best receiving seasons by yards, no receiver matched Jones' total of 5,141 yards — and he topped the list for five best seasons and seven best seasons too.
Seeing these Eagles legends mentioned alongside Tom Brady, Aaron Donald and Ray Lewis validates what Eagles fans have always known in Philadelphia — this franchise knows how to develop elite talent.