The Eagles brought back the Kelly Green jerseys in the 2023 season and have won all four games wearing them in stylish fashion, in both look and performance. Running back Saquon Barkley's iconic reverse hurdle came wearing the Kelly Green jerseys against Jacksonville last season. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith made one of his ridiculous one-handed, toe-tapping grabs in the back of the end zone in that same game. For Smith, the team's top draft pick in 2021, he's embraced the team's history, learning from and developing relationships with the all-time great receivers, including Harold Carmichael and Mike Quick.
"Those guys set the standard of being a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. As a guy that's coming up now, those are the guys that I chase to cement myself as one of the best receivers to come through Philadelphia. When you look at those guys, that's the blueprint. This is what they did and that's what you're chasing," Smith said.
Smith has etched his name into the record books, owning the franchise marks for rookie receiving yards and most receiving yards in postseason history.
"I wouldn't say I'd put my name among that class," Smith said of chasing the franchise legends. "I think I'm heading in the right direction, but there's a lot more work to be done."
Baun admitted that when he signed with the Eagles as a free agent in March 2024, he didn't know much about the team's history. He received an important lesson just before the start of the Super Bowl run.
Eagles Hall of Fame linebacker Bill Bergey passed away just after Christmas following a prolonged battle with cancer. Bergey's family gave Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman one of Bergey's medallions. Roseman shared with the linebackers what Bergey meant to the organization's history. He then presented Baun with the medallion to wear as a good luck charm. Baun finished as just the second NFL linebacker since 1991 to record a takeaway in each of his first four postseason starts, which featured an interception of Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX.
"It was really special," Baun said. "As I've been here, you learn as you go because the greats in Eagles history are brought up so often. You know about the Randall Cunninghams and the Bergeys, all the people that came before, so it was really cool to work my way up. I felt like I truly earned that honor to represent him and his family."