They’re not the heroes that Philadelphia deserves, but they’re the ones it needs right now.
Through the years, Batman’s origins have been told ad nauseum in the comics, on TV and on the silver screen: Bruce Wayne’s parents were murdered in a dark alley, sparking his never-ending quest for vengeance against the criminal element as “The Caped Crusader.”
The Eagles’ Batmans origin story is … not quite that grim.
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As is a goal of the superhero’s, Batman has become a symbol once again, but this time for the 2022 Philadelphia Eagles. Nick Sirianni’s undefeated squad has delivered a Justice League-style beatdown on the NFL this year, and looks to go 8-0 against the hapless Texans on “Thursday Night Football.”
AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins now have their own Batman shirts 🦇 pic.twitter.com/uLoUxMVBej
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) October 16, 2022
Featuring a trio of Batmans heading up their offense — wide receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins — the Eagles have turned to Gotham’s protector, The Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, the World’s Greatest Detective, as they search for justice (and a Super Bowl ring).
Here’s the origin story:
The Eagles and Batman
The Eagles rep three Batmans (not Batmen) and no Robins on their team: Wide receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins head up the three-headed Batman monster on offense. Brown is known amongst teammates as “Swole Batman,” Smith is known as “Skinny Batman” and Watkins is known as “Fast Batman.”
While the team has taken up the mantle proudly, the nicknames actually came from defensive back Darius Slay, who also devised the idea of a Batman cape as a celebration for the Eagles sideline:
A.J. Brown a swole Batman. DeVonta is a skinny Batman. Quez is a fast Batman. So we got three Batmans on the team — but we got one swole, one skinny, one fast. No Robins. We don’t got no backups. No Robins. We got no sidekicks. We ain’t got nothing but Batmans, you know what I’m saying. These boys fly. They fly.
(For the record, Batman does not fly. He glides. I digress.)
Part of the Batman shtick for the Eagles is to also wear a cape after scoring a touchdown. Brown bought the cape at Slay’s suggestion, and it has popped up on the sideline throughout the year.
SWOLE BATMAN.@1kalwaysopen_ | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/8O2DLX69yO
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 25, 2022
The three Batmans may have to make room for a fourth. All-Pro center Jason Kelce wore a Batman mask following their Week 8 win over the Steelers, joining the ranks of Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson to don the cowl.
NO ROBINS ON THIS TEAM@JasonKelce | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/XvWan73mHR
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 30, 2022
The Joker could not be reached for comment.
