Ranking the Best WR in Eagles History (A.J. Brown Isn't No. 1)
A.J. Brown has caused quite a stir since his departure from the Philadelphia Eagles, and he has only said a few words regarding his former organization.
Perhaps this is the combination of all the stories surrounding Brown in the locker room over the past few years, or how he asked out of Philadelphia.
The parting message Brown had to the Eagles was telling, and shown what he thought of himself and his talent. There's nothing wrong with that, but optics are optics. Brown was always lacking in that department.
"The best to ever play here. Always open."
There is a player on the Eagles roster that is well on his way towards being the best wideout in franchise history -- and that's DeVonta Smith. For the sake of this conversation, Smith will be left out of this since his career is still incomplete (he's still playing for the Eagles).
Let's rank the best wide receivers in Eagles history -- and Brown isn't No. 1.
5. DeSean Jackson (2008-2013, 2019-2020)
Jackson is one of the best deep-ball receivers in NFL history, and arguably the best deep-ball wideout the Eagles have ever had. He's third in franchise history in receiving yards (6,512) and fourth in receiving yards per game (68.5).
Jackson became the first player in NFL history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions -- kick returner and wide receiver -- and shares the record for 50+ touchdowns in a season (eight).
Having three 1,000-yard seasons with the Eagles and three Pro Bowl selections, Jackson averaged 17.2 yards per catch and 35 receiving touchdowns in his Eagles career. he was another one who would have had most of Philadelphia's receiving marks if it wasn't for Chip Kelly.
4. A.J. Brown (2022-2025)
Was Brown the best wide receiver in Eagles history? Not even close, but he deserves to be in that conversation based on how well he played in Philadelphia.
Brown does deserve to be on this list, based on how good he was during his four years in Philadelphia. Brown is the only wide receiver to have 5,000+ receiving yards in a four-year stretch with the Eagles, while having the most 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Eagles history (4).
Brown holds the single-season record for receiving yards (1,496) and has the most catches for a wide receiver in a season (106) in franchise history. The Eagles also went to two Super Bowls in four years with Brown, winning one.
Eagles fans can deny it, but Brown was one of the all-time greats in franchise history.
3. Mike Quick (1982-1990)
Quick was one of the best wide receivers in the 1980s, a dominant force for the Eagles for a three-year stretch. Quick led the NFL in receiving yards in 1983 (1,409) and receiving yards per game (88.1) -- the first of his two First Team All-Pro selections.
Making the Pro Bowl five straight times and having 5,437 yards in five seasons is impressive in the 1980s, which was third in the NFL during that span. Quick's 63 touchdowns were also the first in the league during that stretch.
Quick is fourth in Eagles history with 6,464 receiving yards and third in touchdowns (61). If Quick's knees didn't give up on him, he would have had all the Eagles' receiving marks.
2. Tommy McDonald (1957-1963)
McDonald is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a reason. He was one of the best wide receivers of his era, a dominant wideout on some good Eagles teams in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
McDonald made five Pro Bowls in an Eagles uniform and was selected as an All-Pro twice. he led the NFL in receiving yards (1,144), receiving touchdowns (13), and receiving yards per game (81.7) in 1961 -- the first of two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in an Eagles uniform.
He put up 66 touchdowns in an Eagles uniform, good for second in franchise history. McDonald also averaged 19.2 yards per catch in his seven seasons with the Eagles. Those 66 touchdowns were the most in the NFL by a wide margin, as Del Shofner was second with 48.
Dominance and Tommy McDonald go together.
1. Harold Carmichael (1971-1983)
Carmichael's records are the ones every wide receiver on the Eagles chases. He has the most catches (589), receiving yards (8,978), and receiving touchdowns (79) in Eagles history -- the gold standard for the position.
He also caught a pass in 127 consecutive games from 1972 to 1982, which was an NFL record until Steve Largent broke it in 1986. Carmichael's numbers certainly improved once the illegal contact rule was added in 1978, having 216 catches for 3,787 yards and 34 touchdowns from 1978 to 1981. He ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in all three categories, including having the second-most touchdown receptions in that span.
When Carmichael's NFL career ended, he was fifth in NFL history in catches, seventh in yards, and tied for sixth in touchdowns. Carmichael led all NFL wide receivers in receptions (549), receiving yards (8,414), and receiving touchdowns (77) from 1973 to 1983 -- showing why he was one of the best in his era.
Carmichael is the best wideout in Eagles history. His numbers will be hard to top.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/eagles/onsi as Ranking the Best WR in Eagles History (A.J. Brown Isn't No. 1).
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM.