How Many Times Have The Philadelphia Eagles Been To The Super Bowl?

When the Philadelphia Eagles play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, they won’t just be looking to become the 2018 NFL champions. Philadelphia is hoping to win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The Eagles have had their chances, though they’ve been few and far between. Philadelphia has played in two Super Bowls ahead of Sunday’s contest, coming up short both times.

Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl appearance was in 1981. The Eagles won the NFC East and were tied for the NFL’s best record at 12-4. After cruising through the NFL playoffs, Philadelphia was defeated by the Oakland Raiders 27-10 in Super Bowl XV.

It took another 24 years for the Eagles to get back to the Super Bowl. Philadelphia had their best season with Donovan McNabb at quarterback, going 13-3. They were heavy underdogs against the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, ultimately losing 24-21.

The Raiders were actually three-point underdogs against the Eagles before Super Bowl XV. New England was a seven-point favorite over Philadelphia 13 years ago. With a couple of days remaining until Super Bowl LII, the Eagles are 4.5-point underdogs, according to OddsShark.

The Eagles haven’t had the best luck in terms of Super Bowl opponents. For the second time in three tries, Philadelphia will be forced to take on Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ dynasty in the Super Bowl. In Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl appearance, they took on a team that had won the title just two years earlier.

When Nick Foles takes the field at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, he’ll become the third player to start a Super Bowl at quarterback for the Eagles. McNabb led Philadelphia in their last appearance, and it was Ron Jaworski that started for the Eagles in 1981.

McNabb only led Philadelphia to one Super Bowl appearance, though the Eagles nearly played in the game several times with the quarterback and head coach Andy Reid at the helm. The Eagles reached the NFC Championship Game in every year between 2002 and 2005. The group had one final run in 2009 when they lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the conference title game.

Before winning the NFC East this season, the Eagles last made it to the playoffs in 2014. Philadelphia missed the postseason just twice between 2001 and 2011. In between their first two Super Bowl appearances, the Eagles made the postseason 11 times without advancing beyond the NFC Championship Game.

Prior to the Super Bowl era, the Eagles managed to win multiple titles. Philadelphia won consecutive NFL championships in 1948 and 1949, and they beat the Green Bay Packers for a third title in 1960.