The Eagles are staring at a familiar problem with Saquon Barkley, and it comes with a warning label they should already know by heart.
Philadelphia’s season has been battered by injuries, none bigger than the one that ended Jalen Hurts’ year. Hurts is out for the season after blood clots moved from his calf to his lungs, a situation that spiraled after he traveled to London for the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The clot had been considered superficial at the time, but Hurts wound up in the hospital the night before the game, still played, then flew home immediately afterward. The condition worsened from there.
Now Barkley is the latest star the Eagles have to handle carefully, and the pattern feels uncomfortably similar. His year has already been a grind: a stinger in Week 2, a hamstring issue in Week 4, and then a back injury in the Eagles’ Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He missed the first two practices this week before returning on Friday, and he carries no injury designation for Sunday night’s Week 8 matchup with the Washington Commanders.
That doesn’t mean the Eagles should be eager to unleash him.
Barkley’s effort against Dallas showed exactly why this is such a tricky call. He played just 10 snaps on Monday night, but he still managed 71 yards on nine touches.
Even so, he looked like he was fighting his own body every time he touched the ball. He was leaving the field after nearly every play.
There’s a line between toughness and pushing too far, and Barkley seems close to it. His willingness to play is not the issue. The question is whether the Eagles should let him.
At 2-5, Philadelphia’s season is hanging by a thread. The injury list is already long, with DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Jihaad Campbell ruled out for the Commanders game. Barkley probably belongs on that list too, at least for now.
The bigger picture matters here. The Eagles need to think beyond one Sunday night game and protect what’s left of Barkley’s health. He’s not going to be fully right for the rest of the season because of the hamstring problem, but another week or two off would help.
This is where the team has to take the decision out of the player’s hands. After what happened with Hurts, the Eagles can’t afford to let another injured star talk himself into playing when the smarter move is to sit.
Barkley’s toughness is obvious. The risk is obvious too.
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