The 1940 Philadelphia Eagles season was their eighth in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 1–9–1, losing ten games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. The Eagles 298 rushing yards in 1940 are the fewest in the history of the NFL. The team gained only 0.94 yards per carry.

Off season

After 4 years playing at larger Philadelphia Municipal Stadium the Eagles move to Shibe Park for the 1940 season Eagles training camp was held at West Chester State Teachers College, West Chester, Pennsylvania.

NFL draft

The 1940 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1939. This year again it was to have 22 rounds, with each team getting 20 picks. The weaker teams only picked in the 2nd and 4th rounds and were passed over in rounds 21 and 22. The Eagles and Pittsburgh Pirates, before being called Steelers, both finished with 1–9–1, .100 records, but the 1939 Chicago Cardinals ended up at 1–10, .091 and would get the first pick in the draft. The Eagles and Pirates would alternate picking 2nd or 3rd in each round.

Player selections

The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with. Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.

Schedule

Game recaps

A recap of the scoring plays and the game scores by quarters during the year. The record after the team's name reflects this games outcome also.

WEEK 1

Sunday September 15, 1940

WEEK 2

Sunday September 22, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 3

Saturday September 28, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays NONE

WEEK 4

Friday, October 4, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays Eagles Elmer Hackney 1-yard rush (Fran Murray kick) 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 5

Sunday, October 13, 1940 Scoring 1st and 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 6

Sunday, October 20, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 7

Saturday, October 26, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 8

Sunday, November 10, 1940 This was the final game in NFL history as of 2013 in which neither team was penalized. Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 9

Sunday, November 17, 1940 Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays

WEEK 10

Thursday November 28, 1940 – Thanksgiving Day

WEEK 11

Sunday, December 1, 1940 This was the Eagles 2nd game in 3 days. Scoring 1st Quarter Scoring Plays 2nd Quarter Scoring Plays 3rd Quarter Scoring Plays 4th Quarter Scoring Plays

Standings

Playoffs

The Eagles with a 1–10–1 record finished last in the NFL Eastern Division and fail to make it to the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The game was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 8, 1940. The Chicago Bears, with an 8–3 record, defeated the Washington Redskins, with a 9–2 record, 73–0, the most one-sided victory in NFL history. The Bears scored on 3 interception returns of Washington passes during the game. This was the first NFL title game that was broadcast nationwide on radio by Mutual Broadcasting System.

Roster

(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)

Postseason

In the off season Davey O'Brien turned down a salary raise and retired from the NFL. In December 1940, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney sold the Steelers to Alexis Thompson and used half of the proceeds to buy a half interest in the Philadelphia Eagles from his friend Bert Bell. Before the start of the 1941 season Rooney, Bell, and Thompson swapped city and NFL rights for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers players of 1940 and before thereby became Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia Eagles players of 1940 and before likewise became members of the Pittsburgh Steelers – with the exception of several players who were traded between the two teams.

Award and honors