Due to the return of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Kelly green jerseys in recent years, a Philly tradition has been brought back to Philadelphia, gaining greater appreciation for the jerseys.

Originally, the Eagles had blue and yellow jerseys until they abandoned them for Kelly greens in 1937. They did bring back the blue and yellow once, but they were not brought back as a permanent throwback jersey.

For junior Austin Kingsbauer, the tradition of the Kelly green jerseys is favorable to the typical jerseys. 

“I would pick the Kelly green over their midnight green jerseys,” Kingsbauer said.

The Eagles wore Kelly green until it was abandoned in 1995. When reminiscing, fans think back to memorable moments or players.

According to junior Jake Montgomery, Randall Cunningham is a memorable player who wore Kelly green because of the clips he’s watched. 

In 2023, the Eagles brought back their Kelly green jerseys, wearing them twice a season, most recently on December 29, 2024, in a 41-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. 

According to junior Carter Morris, he loves the Kelly green jerseys; that is why he enjoys watching games.

“The Kelly green [jerseys] are definitely the best,” Morris said. “At the [Super Bowl] parade, everyone was wearing them. It’s only something you wear on a special occasion.”

Montgomery enjoys the Kelly green jerseys because they are a tradition and not used all the time.

 “I like a two-time thing. People get more hyped about it when they don’t see them as much,” Montgomery said. “When they bring them back occasionally, it’s better.”

Kingsbauer agrees that wearing the jerseys twice a year brings the fan base together.

 “[The jerseys] change the atmosphere,” Kingsbauer said. “Because it only happens a couple times a year, it’s like a special event.”

The popularity of the Kelly greens are justified by fans because of their infrequent use and historical significance.

“There’s a lot more popularity for the Kelly greens, just because of how uncommon they use them and how old they are,” Montgomery said.

According to Kingsbauer, the Kelly green jerseys are “colorful,” and he thinks they are “cool,” although he is not an Eagles fan.

Philadelphia fans such as Montgomery see moments in Kelly green as “iconic” and fans love it in the Kelly green.

“The Devonta Smith one-hand, and the Barkley hurdle were the most athletic things we’ve ever seen,” Morris said.

 According to Kingsbauer he thinks seeing fans appreciate a tradition like the Kelly green jerseys could influence other teams to bring a cherished tradition back.

“I think teams are thinking about it more than ever, and that’s very good for the league to see a lot of change like that,” Kingsbauer said.