The Steelers and Eagles were once the same team. Here’s the history of the short-lived Steagles.
World War II left the teams short on players, so they combined to form the Steagles, a team that lasted only one year — perhaps in part due to two coaches who couldn’t get along.
In 1943, with World War II raging abroad, the Steelers and Eagles did not have enough players to field full NFL rosters. Instead, the two teams combined to form what became colloquially known as the Steagles.
The Steelers had just six players remaining on the squad, while the Eagles had 16.
While the team played four home games in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh, it was technically still called the Philadelphia Eagles, and wore green and white for games.
The Steagles went 5-4-1 in 1943, and ultimately did not make the playoffs.
Eagles coach Greasy Neale and Steelers coach Walt Kiesling were co-head coaches, but reportedly disliked each other, so much so that it’s speculated that’s part of the reason the Steagles broke up after one year.
While the Eagles returned to being their own team in 1944 and had their first winning season ever, the Steelers were forced to merge again, this time with the Chicago Cardinals.
In 1943, with World War II raging abroad, the Steelers and Eagles did not have enough players to field full NFL rosters. Instead, the two teams combined to form what became colloquially known as the Steagles.
Why did the Steagles form?
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged Major League Baseball to continue to play to improve wartime morale, and the NFL followed baseball’s lead.
The Steelers had just six players remaining on the squad, while the Eagles had 16 remaining players. The teams combined and agreed to play four home games in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh. They also agreed the new team would still be called the Philadelphia Eagles and wear green and white for games.
» READ MORE: Where is the Eagles-Steelers divide in Pennsylvania? Tell us and see what others think in our interactive.
Who was on the Steagles?
Most able-bodied players became soldiers, so the remaining players on the Steagles fell into three groups: married fathers with children born before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; men who worked in war industries or agriculture (most football players had day jobs back then); and men with physical impairments like poor vision that prevented them from serving in the military.
Eagles coach Greasy Neale and Steelers coach Walt Kiesling served as co-head coaches that season, with one coaching the offense and the other coaching the defense. The team’s best player was running back Jack Hinkle, who rushed for 571 yards, one yard away from being the league’s rushing leader.
» READ MORE: First team All-Pa. defense: The state’s best NFL players of all-time
How well did they do?
The Steagles went 5-4-1 in 1943, and ultimately did not make the playoffs. But the Steelers had just one winning season before 1943, and the Eagles had never had one.
Why did they disband?
By 1944, the NFL was far more stable, even adding a Boston expansion team. However, that created an odd number of teams, so the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals, while Philadelphia went back to playing on its own. It’s speculated that the reason the Eagles and Steelers did not play together again in 1944 is because Neale refused to continue to coach with Kiesling.
» READ MORE: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin calls Eagles RB Saquon Barkley the ‘most significant acquisition in the NFL′
Legacy
Nowadays, the Steagles are a fun trivia answer. The team was honored on its 60th anniversary at Heinz Field, and the final living member of the Steagles, lineman Al Wistert, died in 2016. In modern times, the rivalry is nowhere near as intense as it was in the early days of the NFL.
In 1943, with World War II raging abroad, the Steelers and Eagles, in their 10th season, did not have enough players to field full NFL rosters. Instead, the two teams combined to form one roster, known as “Phil-Pitt Combine” in the NFL record books, but colloquially as the Steagles.
So, what happened? Here’s the history of the Steagles …
Why did the Steagles form?
The idea to combine the Steelers and Eagles into one team actually predates American involvement in World War II. In 1939, Steelers owner Art Rooney wanted to combine the two teams into one, the Pennsylvania Keystoners, and move the other franchise to Boston. The plan ultimately failed but left Eagles owner Bert Bell with a share of the Steelers.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged Major League Baseball to continue to play to improve wartime morale, and the NFL followed baseball’s lead.
» READ MORE: Where is the Eagles-Steelers divide in Pennsylvania? Tell us and see what others think in our interactive.
The Steelers had just six players remaining on the squad, while the Eagles had 16 remaining players. Rooney once again proposed the two teams combine, but Eagles owner Alexis Thompson was hesitant. Ultimately, the combined team agreed to play four home games in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh, and would still be called the Philadelphia Eagles and wear Eagles green and white for games.
“It was done out of necessity,” Rooney said in a 1974 interview. “The war was going on and most of the players were in the service. A lot of the coaches, too. We didn’t have the man power to field a team and neither did the Eagles, but we thought we could make it work if we pooled our resources.”
The Eagles and Steelers were the only teams to merge that season, although the Cleveland Rams were given permission to suspend operations for the year.
Who was on the Steagles?
Most able-bodied players became soldiers, so the remaining players on the Steagles fell into three groups: married fathers with children born before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; men who worked in war industries or agriculture (most football players had day jobs back then); and men with physical impairments like poor vision that prevented them from serving in the military. Steagles punter and kicker Troy Smith had a prosthetic leg.
Eagles coach Greasy Neale and Steelers coach Walt Kiesling served as co-head coaches that season. The team’s best player was running back Jack Hinkle, who rushed for 571 yards, one yard away from being the league’s rushing leader (although NFL Films made a short film about a 37-yard rush that was accidentally charged to another player because it was muddy during the game, which would have made Hinkle the NFL rushing champ).
» READ MORE: First team All-Pa. defense: The state’s best NFL players of all-time
How well did they do?
The Steagles went 5-4-1 in 1943, and ultimately did not make the playoffs. But the Steelers had just one winning season before 1943, and the Eagles had never had one.
“Both teams had been so bad that there was no worry of their becoming a superteam,” author Matthew Algeo told the New York Times in 2009.
Neale and Kiesling strongly disliked each other, and separated with one coaching the offense and one coaching the defense, one of the earliest examples of the modern offensive and defensive coordinator setup.
Why did they disband?
By 1944, the NFL was far more stable, with the Cleveland Rams returning and the Boston expansion team joining the fold. But that made for 11 teams, which was bad for scheduling.
The Steelers and Eagles still split up, but the Steelers instead combined with the Chicago Cardinals to bring the league back down to an even 10 teams as the Eagles returned on their own. The Card-Pitt Combine was far worse, going 0-10, and the Eagles had their first winning season in 1944, going 7-1-2. It’s speculated that the reason the Eagles and Steelers did not play together again in 1944 is because Neale refused to continue to coach with Kiesling.
» READ MORE: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin calls Eagles RB Saquon Barkley the ‘most significant acquisition in the NFL′
Legacy
Nowadays, the Steagles are a fun trivia answer. The team was honored on its 60th anniversary at Heinz Field, and the final living member of the Steagles, lineman Al Wistert, died in 2016. In modern times, the rivalry is nowhere near as intense as it was in the early days of the NFL.
Now in separate conferences, the Steelers and Eagles have stronger rivalries with other teams across state lines, but at the time, the Eagles-Steelers rivalry was fierce, making their teaming up even more improbable. Imagine if the Eagles had to team up with the Cowboys? Unthinkable!