Nearly eight decades ago, in the midst of World War II, football teams from two rival cities joined forces.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, in 1943, played as what was colloquially referred to as the “Steagles.”
From a record standpoint (5-4-1), the Steagles (who were actually known as “Phil-Pitt Combine”) were somewhat forgettable. But the story of the combination of the two franchises located on opposite sides of Pennsylvania has lived on for almost 80 years.
To most alive today, the thought of professional sports franchises having to merge for survival is somewhat unthinkable. But such was the case in war time.
Now, generations later, with the NFL raking in billions of dollar per season, we’ll never see such a union again. But what if we did?
If the Steelers and Eagles, set to play Sunday in Philadelphia, had to merge their franchises, and pick the best team possible to put on the field, who would make that squad? Who would coach that team? Let’s dive in.
Coach - A tough debate here from the start. Nick Sirianni appears to be leading an Eagles franchise that is destined for big things, having started the season unbeaten. But Mike Tomlin would get the nod here. His ability to weather storms with makeshift lineups (hello, Bucs game) would be beneficial in this situation. And Sirianni can be the offensive coordinator. Apologies to Matt Canada.
Quarterback - While the Steelers may have a promising young quarterback in Kenny Pickett, there’s no doubt that Philadelphia passer Jalen Hurts is a step ahead at this moment. Pickett would be the backup.
Running Back - This is close, but Miles Sanders gets the call, with Najee Harris as the RB2. Harris may have slightly more pedigree, but has struggled this year. Sanders — the Woodland Hills and Penn State alum — is having a strong season. Oh, want a fullback? Well, the Eagles don’t even have a true fullback on their roster. So, welcome to the team, Derek Watt!
Tight End - Another interesting decision to make. Dallas Goedert and Pat Freiermuth have somewhat similar numbers this season. Goedert is the more established player, but Freiermuth has graded out better this year. The two tight end sets would be fun.
Wide Receivers - There really are no rules here, so we’ll take four wideouts. AJ Brown would be the Steagles’ top pass catcher. Speedster DeVonta Smith, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson round out the rest of the group.
Offensive Line - No need to break this one down by position. It’s the Eagles’ offensive line. At each position. They’ve been one of the best units in the league all year, and the Steelers, well, have not.
Defensive Line - Philadelphia might have the NFL’s best defensive line right now. It’s a tough, explosive group of playmakers. Fletcher Cox is still a disruptive force in the middle, alongside former Steeler Javon Hargrave. Rookie Jordan Davis would get consideration here, too. Brandon Graham has played at an elite level this season, as well. And the fourth would be strong addition from the Western side of the state, Cam Heyward. This is the best and deepest unit on the entire team by a wide margin.
Linebackers - Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt is a no-brainer pick. He’d be joined on the edge by Philly’s Josh Sweat for an elite pass rushing duo. In the middle, TJ Edwards of Philadelphia and Myles Jack hold down those spots.
Secondary - The safeties would both come from Pittsburgh. Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the league’s best free safeties, and Terrell Edmunds is performing better than Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, and has actually had a very solid year. The corners, however, would come out of the East. James Bradberry and Darius Slay have combined for five interceptions this season, while the Steelers' corners have battled injury all year.
Specialists - Chris Boswell, who is questionable for Sunday’s game, against Phladelphia’s Jake Elliot, is a pretty good debate right now. Elliot has been slightly more accurate this year, but we’ll lean towards Boswell, one of the league’s best — and highest paid — kickers. Arryn Siposs will do the punting.
In all, that’s 27 total players. 18 of them come from Philadelphia, with nine from Pittsburgh, which pretty much falls in line with a 6-0 team and a 2-5 team.
93.7 The Fan will have coverage of Sunday’s game in Philadelphia, including Jeff Hathhorn and Josh Rowntree’s Black & Gold Breakdown video podcast following the game.