1961 Philadelphia Eagles season

The 1961 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's twenty-ninth season in the National Football League.

Off-season
Since 1951, the Eagles have held their training camp at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

NFL Draft
The 1961 NFL draft and the 1961 AFL Draft were separate drafts, and players could end up being drafted by both leagues.

The 1961 NFL Draft, which involved fourteen teams choosing college players during twenty rounds, took place on December 27 and 28, 1960. It occurred after the Eagles' win in the NFL Championship Game on December 26.

The Eagles picked last as a result of the team's 10–2 season record in 1960. This was due to the rule at that time that teams be assigned their respective ranks in the selection process based on their previous season records. This meant that the Cleveland Browns picked ahead of the NFL runner-up, the Green Bay Packers.

This draft was also the first regular draft for the Dallas Cowboys, which had participated only in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft that year. The Cowboys held the worst record in the NFL the previous season, but selected second in this draft due to the entry of the Minnesota Vikings into the league. The league also held a later expansion draft for the Vikings' franchise, which was awarded the first selection position in that draft.

The AFL draft was held on two dates that were two weeks apart at the end of the 1960 college season. Conducted prior to the bowl games, the first was a six-round draft held by phone. The second was held on December 5 and 6, 1960 for rounds seven through thirty. The Denver Broncos selected New Mexico State's Bob Gaiters as the overall first draft pick.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost its first-round pick to the AFL for the second year. About half of the Eagles' nineteen picks either signed with the AFL or remained in college to play their last year of eligibility.

Preseason

 * August 4, Chicago All-Star Game: Eagles 28, All-Stars 14

Schedule
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

Playoff Bowl

 * Source: