The injury bug has continued to bite the Philadelphia Eagles, who suffered another scare Sunday when RB Saquon Barkley left the game with a hamstring issue. On Monday the team — and fans — got some relief: the injury isn’t expected to be season-ending and Barkley is being listed as week-to-week, according to the NFL Network.
Barkley went down on a first-quarter run during Philadelphia’s 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams; he had only two carries for eight yards before exiting. Tank Bigsby — the 2023 third-round pick the Eagles acquired from Jacksonville last September — came in for him. Bigsby finished last season with 344 rushing yards at a 5.9 yards-per-carry clip and had entered Sunday with 36 yards and a TD on 14 carries; he added 14 carries for 55 yards in Week 4. Unfortunately, Bigsby injured his core in the fourth quarter and will undergo surgery, landing on IR and missing at least four weeks (making him eligible to return no earlier than Nov. 8 against the Giants). That makes the encouraging news on Barkley even more important for Philadelphia.
If Barkley can’t play in Week 5, the Eagles would likely lean more on Will Shipley, who had six carries for 23 yards in Week 4 and was a 2024 fourth-round pick who totaled 14 carries for 49 yards across 15 games last season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the team’s third-leading rusher on Sunday, with five carries for 18 yards. As a unit Philly sits around the middle of the league in total rushing yards (436) but near the bottom in rushing touchdowns (2). The offense’s options are further limited by injuries to WR DeVonta Smith and TE Dallas Goedert, putting extra pressure on Hurts and the running game.
Through three games this season Barkley has 174 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry) but is still searching for his first rushing touchdown. The 29-year-old has been productive since joining the Eagles, piling up 3,145 yards and 20 rushing TDs in his first two seasons with the team, including a 2,000-yard campaign in 2024 that helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl. The loss to the Rams dropped the Eagles to 2-2 — their second straight defeat after a 27-7 setback to the Bears in Week 3 following opening wins over the Commanders and Titans. Philadelphia’s Week 5 matchup is against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a test that would be tougher if their lead back is unavailable.
Fan Take: This matters because availability of a star like Barkley can swing the Eagles’ offensive identity and playoff trajectory — losing him or other key skill players forces a shift in play-calling and puts more strain on the roster. It’s also a reminder across the league that depth and midseason injuries can reshape contenders quickly, giving younger backups an unexpected chance to make an impact.
Source: www.cbssports.com
