Amidst the Philadelphia Eagles’ triumphant Super Bowl LIX celebration at Caesars Superdome, Carlos Santiago proudly donned a kelly green, No. 62 Jason Kelce jersey. The vibrant shade caught his eye immediately.
“The kelly green is fantastic,” Santiago remarked, appreciating its vivid appeal.
From 1985 to 1995, the Eagles sported this lighter kelly green hue, a significant departure from their present midnight green color. During that era, football legends like Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, and Eric Allen graced the field in these iconic uniforms.
This Sunday at 1 p.m. (EST), as the Eagles face off against the New York Giants, they will revive this cherished throwback look for the first time this season.
The kelly green style remains a fan favorite, with Rally House Ivy Ridge in Northwest Philadelphia reporting that sales of the retro jerseys outpace those of the current midnight green version.
Luminaries such as Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Clyde Simmons and Eric Allen played in those uniforms, and the Eagles will wear that throwback for the first time this season on Sunday at 1 p.m. (EST) when they host the New York Giants.
The kelly green look is very popular. In fact, according to the Rally House Ivy Ridge in Northwest Philadelphia, they actually sell better than the current midnight version.
“When the people come in, they ask about the kelly green more than any other color,” said Louis Hernandez, manager at that Rally House. “Everyone grabs kelly green as the first color … The fans are loving it.”
Of those kelly green jerseys, Hernandez said that those of Barkley, who memorably leapt over Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Darrian Jones while wearing kelly green, and A.J. Brown and Cooper DeJean are selling the best.
That’s the case, even though those stars currently wear midnight green tops and white pants (or vice versa on the road) as their regular uniform.
It also has the eagle head logo on the shoulder instead of the full bird clutching a football in its talons like the old-school version.
Another key difference is that the kelly green jerseys are accompanied by gray pants, making for an alluring look.
“Kelly green is really a hot color,” Hernandez said. “That bright kelly green color attracts your eyes.”
Starting in the 2023 season, the Eagles first announced that the kelly green uniforms would return as an alternate uniform.
It has remained so ever since.
“Right now, it’s a throwback,” owner Jeffrey Lurie exclusively shared. “I don’t know what the future’s going to hold, but we love the kelly green, we love the midnight green and — anything we can win big in — we love. Those are two great ones.”
Though Lurie was diplomatic about it, it’s hard to see the Eagles going back to it full time.
They would face the same conundrum as other teams with popular throwbacks like the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.
Their 1980s jerseys – particularly New England’s Pat the Patriot look — are more attractive. But none of those teams won Super Bowls in those uniforms, winning instead at least one Super Bowl with the modern versions.
In the case of the Eagles, they won Super Bowl LII and LIX in 2018 and 2025, respectively, in midnight green.
The defending Super Bowl LIX champions will be wearing kelly green against each of their NFC East opponents this year.
In addition to Sunday’s rematch against the Giants, they will wear them in Week 12 at the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 vs. the Washington Commanders.
“I do like the fact they added more games,” Hernandez said.
That Week 12 game represents the first time they will wear the kelly green uniforms as throwbacks on the road.
As to whether the Eagles will ever go back to kelly green on a full-time basis, Lurie left that up in the air.
“We love our success with midnight green, and I personally love the kelly green. So it’s kind of a win/win,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
