The season opener is here, and so is Lincoln the bald eagle.
After finishing his rookie season with the Eagles last year, Lincoln is returning to Philadelphia for the Cowboys vs. Eagles season kickoff on Thursday night.
Lincoln will take flight over the crowd while Boyz II Men sings the National Anthem at Lincoln Financial Field, but who is the majestic bird that went viral time and time again in 2024?
The 26-year-old Lincoln lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in Kodak, Tennessee, as one of 18 birds stationed at the American Eagle Foundation headquarters. He first arrived in the early 2000s as a part of the organization's breeding program aiming to help the population of bald eagles, which were on the endangered species list until 2007.
Lincoln was released back into the wild twice, but he was found both times emaciated because his hunting instincts seemingly never developed. U.S. Fish and Wildlife eventually deemed him non-releasable, and he found a full-time home with AEF.
By the time Lincoln settled in at AEF, another bird named Challenger became the first bald eagle to do stadium flights. Challenger started flying at games for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012 with Lincoln waiting in the wings.
Lincoln was named accordingly knowing he would be Challenger's successor. After originally being trained for educational programs, Lincoln's desire to fly and perform was apparent, so the AEF team started to work.
"He thinks he's a human," said Jessica Hall, Chief Executive Officer of AEF. "He likes to show off and fly and we love letting him do his thing."
When Challenger retired in 2019 after more than 30 flights for the Eagles, Lincoln was almost ready. Lincoln spent time training at different stadiums across Tennessee so he could get used to the atmosphere and crowd, and in 2024, he made his debut at the stadium he's named after.
Lincoln has been an immediate hit in Philadelphia with his debut season ending with confetti on Bourbon Street, but his impact has stretched beyond football. His presence at Eagles games brought increased attention towards the American Eagle Foundation and has helped the organization expand its mission of assisting the bald eagles.
"To be able to have the recognition and the support of the Philadelphia Eagles fan base, as well as the organization, to get our mission out on how we take care of the nation's injured bald eagles, it's just completely game-changing for us," Hall said. "We were in a place last year where we were coming to Philly and flying Lincoln for those games, and we started to see more and more people trying to find our website, follow us on social media. It was just an absolute incredible response."
The AEF crew will drive Lincoln to Philadelphia from Tennessee prior to Thursday's game, stopping every two hours for a 15-minute break where Lincoln stretches and gets fresh air. Then, there will be test flights on Wednesday and Thursday.
The flying process for Lincoln isn't simple as four different members of AEF will be on the scene to help everything go to plan. There is a release person, someone measuring the wind speed, a catcher for when he lands, and Hall, who will keep eyes on Lincoln at all times.
When Lincoln takes off, there will be someone whistling and holding a lure covered in yellow tape, which Lincoln is trained to fly towards. Then, he's free to do as many laps as he wants — "Sometimes he chooses to do several turns just to kind of get the crowd going," Hall said — before he returns to the catcher, who is standing on a yellow tarp.
"We train based on relationships," Hall said. "Our handlers build a really strong relationship with Lincoln, and it's based on trust. He knows that they're always going to be there to catch him. He knows that they have his safety first of mind. Throughout that training, they build this kind of trust bond between animal and human."
The production is an in-depth process, and before the opener Lincoln practiced at Neyland Stadium, home of the Tennessee Volunteers. The stadium seats 101,915 people, the sixth-largest football stadium in the United States. Hall said it's a great practice ground for Lincoln because the shape has similarities to Lincoln Financial Field.
There was immediately a major reaction from the Philadelphia crowd upon the return of pregame flights. Lincoln flew at most games last season, including all three home playoff games, and the love from Philadelphia was clear.
"Those fans are so incredibly passionate and so kind to us and so wonderful," Hall said. "They love Lincoln. They've just embraced him after that one season. We see them on social media, and they're cheering him on, and they're saying, 'Go Linc,' and it's incredible."
— Written by Matt Ryan
