The 1947 Chicago Cardinals season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League. The Cardinals won the second NFL championship in team history against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team was led by its "Million Dollar Backfield" of Elmer Angsman, Charley Trippi, Paul Christman, and Pat Harder. It was quite a turnaround for a franchise who was riding a 19-game losing streak just two years earlier.
The Cards would win the Western Division again in 1948 but lose the Championship Game to the Eagles; it would be another 26 years until the now St. Louis Cardinals would win another division title. Also, it would be over half a century (and two franchise shifts) until the Cardinals would win another playoff game, in 1998; an NFL-record 51 years. As of the end of 2025, this remains the team's last NFL title, the longest active "championship drought" in American professional sports.
The last remaining active member of the 1947 Chicago Cardinals was Charley Trippi, who retired after the 1955 season.
The 1947 NFL Championship Game was the 15th annual championship game and was held December 28, 1947, at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals (9âÂÂ3) and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles (8âÂÂ4). The Cardinals won the game by a score of 28âÂÂ21.