Even though the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are rivals in the NFC East, both teams, along with the New York Jets, are making an impact in the New Jersey community.
On Monday, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) voted to sanction girls' flag football.
"This is a landmark moment for both the game of football and the state of New Jersey," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "From the earliest days supporting girls flag football, we believed in the sport's ability to grow and create meaningful opportunities for young female athletes. What started as an ambitious goal to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania has evolved into an ongoing pursuit to expand the sport beyond state lines. We are thankful for the NJSIAA's decision to sanction girls flag football and look forward to seeing it continue to thrive and inspire communities throughout New Jersey."
With Monday's announcement, New Jersey is now the 21st state in the country to declare girls' flag football a sanctioned sport.
"The rise of girls flag football in New Jersey reflects a strong collaborative effort, and we're thankful to the many partners who have supported student-athletes throughout this journey," NJSIAA executive director Colleen E. Maguire said in a statement. "The National Football League, including the Philadelphia Eagles, has been instrumental in raising awareness and creating opportunities from the outset, and that ongoing commitment has helped build the solid foundation we see today."
Since 2023, the Eagles have worked together with the Giants and Jets to grow flag football at the youth level for girls in the state of New Jersey through education, engagement, resources and distribution of equipment.
This isn't the first time the Eagles have made their mark in the game of flag football. In 2024, the Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers help sanctioned girls' high school football in the state of Pennsylvania.
It's been a trend within the NFL to help grow the game of flag football.
In 2024, the Arizona Cardinals became the first NFL team to broadcast girls' high school flag football. The Jets and the Eastern College Athletic Conference teamed up to launch the largest collegiate women's flag football league in the country, which kicked off in February.
Most recently in March, the NFL announced its partnering with TMRW Sports to develop and operate a professional flag football league for women and men.
