Eagles All-Time Yardage Leaders: The Most Prolific Players On The Ground And In The Air

The National Football League (NFL) has a couple of franchises that are known by fans everywhere as some of the best in the sport. The New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and, of course, the Philadelphia Eagles, are all deserving of spots on that short list. Throughout the team's history, the Eagles have had some of the most exciting offensive players of all time on their rosters. 

One of the most dynamic quarterbacks ever, Donovan McNabb, holds the all-time passing yardage record, while the equally electrifying running back LeSean McCoy highlights a deep history of fantastic running backs in the City of Brotherly Love. Finally, the all-time great wide receiver Harold Carmichael represents the Birds in the receiving department, thanks to his endless reliability in the face of pressure.

Much of what fans see at the quarterback position today is directly related to McNabb's play in the early 2000s. He was one of the first true dual-threat quarterbacks who could reliably take advantage of opposing defenses in every way imaginable.

All of that became immediately clear when McNabb took over as the full-time starter in his sophomore season, the 2000 campaign. He immediately had one of the best seasons of a first-time starter ever, producing 3,365 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air. Those numbers put McNabb in the Pro Bowl and even garnered him a substantial amount of MVP votes.

McNabb managed to produce similar numbers in nearly every single season as Philadelphia's starting quarterback. While injuries did inhibit his production in a couple of his seasons, he successfully established himself as one of the best deep-ball passers of all time, making five Pro Bowls during his time as an Eagle en route to amassing 32,873 passing yards. 

The fact that McCoy sits atop the franchise's rushing record books after only six years in a Philadelphia uniform speaks to how fantastic a player he was. The Eagles selected McCoy in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, but his breakout campaign did not truly come until his third year in the NFL. In that season, McCoy rushed for 1,309 yards and scored a league-leading 17 touchdowns, earning himself a trip to the Pro Bowl and a First Team All-Pro selection in the process. 

McCoy's final three years in Philly were also full of highlights. A couple of years after he led the NFL in touchdowns, McCoy carried the ball 314 times for 1,607 yards and nine scores. Many thought McCoy was too small to handle such a big workload, but he proved them wrong with resounding success, earning another All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, while nearly winning the Offensive Player of the Year award.

While his career in Philadelphia was not the longest, McCoy left a lasting impact on the city and the fans who enjoyed watching him so much. His ability to shake defenders out of their shoes to make something out of nothing both electrified the crowd and came through in huge moments for Philadelphia's offense. 

Atop the Philadelphia receiving Mount Rushmore is Harold Carmichael. Carmichael, who stands at 6-foot-8, was one of the most durable, reliable receivers in Philadelphia history, playing a whopping 162 regular-season games in a row during his 13 seasons in the City of Brotherly Love. Like McCoy, his breakout campaign came in his third season in the NFL, when Carmichael posted 1,116 yards on 67 catches, two numbers that led the league.

Carmichael surpassed the 1,000-yard marker two more times in his career while consistently providing a sure set of hands for the variety of quarterbacks he played for. Carmichael's ability to produce in an offense that had questionable quarterback play while leaning toward the run makes his achievements even more notable. In addition to leading the Eagles in all-time receiving yardage, Carmichael leads Philadelphia in all-time touchdowns and receptions. 

While there have been plenty of players with a crack at breaking each of the records listed above, McNabb, McCoy, and Carmichael are all well-ensconced in their position atop the history books. McNabb is nearly 6,000 yards ahead of the next name on the list, while McCoy has a 3,000-yard lead on the next active player on the rushing list, current quarterback Jalen Hurts. 

The contributions that these men made to the game of football as a whole are difficult to quantify. Without McNabb, it takes several more years for players like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to emerge into prominence. McCoy proved that smaller running backs were more than capable of handling a full workload in the modern NFL, and Carmichael helped revolutionize the passing game while playing in an era that prioritized the run by a wide margin.