The Philadelphia Eagles have dealt with a significant number of injuries this season and had another major scare on Sunday when star running back Saquon Barkley exited the game with a hamstring injury. The Eagles and their fans can breathe a sigh of relief, getting good news on Monday that the injury is not considered long-term and that the RB is week-to-week, per the NFL Network.
Barkley went down on a run during the first quarter in their 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Before going down with the injury, he had two rushes for eight yards.
Barkley immediately exited Sunday’s game and was replaced by Tank Bigsby, a 2023 third-round pick who was traded from Jacksonville to Philadelphia last September. After joining the Eagles last season, Bigsby rushed for 344 yards and averaged an impressive 5.9 yards per carry. He had 36 yards and a score on 14 carries this season, entering Sunday’s game and added 14 carries for 55 yards in Week 4.
Bigsby suffered an injury in the fourth quarter and is headed to IR for core muscle surgery. Going on IR means Bigsby will be sidelined for at least four weeks, making his earliest return Nov. 8 against the New York Giants. The positive update on Barkley is even more significant, given that the team lost its other top rusher.
If Barkley is sidelined in Week 5, we could see more from Will Shipley, who had the second-most rushing yards at 23 on six carries in Week 4. The 2024 fourth-rounder finished last season with 14 carries for 49 yards in 15 games. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the team’s third-best rusher in Sunday’s loss, finishing with five carries for 18 yards on the ground.
Philly is hovering towards the middle of the pack in total rushing yards (436) and is towards the bottom in rushing touchdowns (2).
The offense is dealing with injuries to wide receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, limiting Hurts’ options.
Through three games in 2026, Barkley ran for 174 yards with a 5.1 yards-per-carry average. However, he is still in search of his first touchdown run of the season. The 29-year-old rushed for 3,145 yards and 20 touchdowns during his first two seasons with the Eagles, which included a 2,000-yard campaign in 2024. Barkley helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl that season.
The Eagles fell to 2-2 after losing to the Rams, their second straight loss. Philly was blown out by the Chicago Bears 27-7 in Week 3, after starting the season with victories against the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans.
Philadelphia will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5, which could be a challenge, especially if they are down their RB1.