The Philadelphia Eagles are the NFL champions. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In doing so, they cemented themselves as the new America’s Team.
It’s a moniker that has belonged to the Dallas Cowboys since 1978 after an NFL Films producer first referred to the team by the trendy nickname. However, the Dallas Cowboys have not won a championship in nearly 30 years, since the Super Bowl after the 1995 season in February 1996. Given this lack of success and, quite frankly, relevance, it’s time to anoint another franchise as America’s Team, and there’s no better option than the Philadelphia Eagles.
Consider the franchise’s name and the city it is from. Both are iconic in U.S. history lore.
Philadelphia is the city where the country began. It is the place where the Founding Fathers decided to be free and declare their independence. Colonists embarking on the American experiment engaged in debates surrounding two of the world’s most important documents: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Both were also written and ratified in the city. There is no United States without Philadelphia.
Next is the eagle. The majestic bird of prey is equal parts mistifying and ferocious. It has been a symbol of the country since the 18th century. Its image is on dollars, coins, stamps, military uniforms, state flags, and government buildings throughout the country. It is present on the nation’s seal. The high-flying bird is regarded as a symbol of strength and courage in the country’s culture.
It’s a symbol that has transferred onto the gridiron, especially with the team’s unprecedented success in recent years. However, this is particularly true after this season. The team overcame adversity to become champions, showing a stunning display of grit and perseverance while defying the odds to win it all.
It is hard to believe now, but a little over 90 days before the team won the Super Bowl, there was chatter around the country about how the Eagles should fire their head coach, Nick Sirianni, and replace their quarterback, Jalen Hurts. They lost two of their first four games, including a heartbreaker in which superstar Saquon Barkley dropped a perfectly thrown pass that hit him in his hands. The team was also blown out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 29.
It would be the last game they lost in the season in which Hurts played the entire game.
Controversy and sports talk “hot takes” ensued, but the Eagles kept winning. In doing so, they embodied the spirit of the country — a never-say-die attitude to overcome incredible odds and obstacles. Their success was emblematic of how the country always persisted until it succeeded. And like the 18th-century freedom fighters who defeated the world’s greatest empire at the time, the Eagles were victorious against the current dynasty of the NFL.
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Furthermore, similar to how the U.S. defeated the world’s preeminent superpower in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, the Eagles two Super Bowl victories after the 2017 and 2024 regular seasons were against the league’s most dominant franchises at the time, the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. In both games, the Eagles were underdogs, and they emerged victorious.
Through it all, they have shown they have spirit, the American spirit, which is why they are now and should henceforth be known as America’s Team.