The Eagles have already lived through enough strange turns in recent odd-numbered seasons to make 2026 feel like a year worth watching closely. Philadelphia went one-and-done in the playoffs in 2021, 2023, and 2025, while reaching the Super Bowl in 2022 and 2024. That kind of pattern is tempting to read too much into, but the bigger concern for next season is more concrete: the offense has lost AJ Brown’s explosive presence, and Saquon Barkley is heading into his age-29 season.
That age has a way of showing up on running backs, and the numbers from a handful of recent examples are hard to ignore. Frank Gore posted 258 carries for 1,214 yards and 8 touchdowns at 4.7 yards per carry in 16 games.
Christian McCaffrey had 311 carries, 1,202 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 3.9 yards per carry in 17 games. Derrick Henry turned in 280 carries, 1,167 yards, and 12 touchdowns at 4.2 yards per carry over 17 games.
Alvin Kamara also got to 228 carries, 950 yards, and 6 touchdowns in 14 games.
The rest of the list paints a rougher picture. Melvin Gordon had 90 carries for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns in 10 games.
Ezekiel Elliott finished with 74 carries, 226 yards, and 3 touchdowns in 15 games. Le'Veon Bell managed just 39 carries for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in 8 games.
Aaron Jones produced 142 carries, 656 yards, and 2 touchdowns in 11 games.
Of those eight backs, only three played a full season, and those were the only three to clear 1,000 rushing yards. It’s not a perfect formula, and there are always exceptions, but the broader point is hard to miss: running backs tend to wear down faster than players at most other spots.
Barkley’s 2025 season already showed some signs of that wear. His carries, yards, touchdowns, success rate, longest run, yards per attempt, and yards per game all dropped.
The year was worse across the board, and his 865-yard decline stood out as a major dip. He also topped 300 offensive touches in three of the last four seasons, and his 1,413 scrimmage yards were the fourth-lowest total of his career, as well as the lowest when he has played 16 games.
None of that guarantees a drop-off is coming in 2026. But it would not be a shock if it did. And for an Eagles offense that needs to find its way back, Barkley’s importance next season only grows from here.
In Other News...
Eagles Fans Finally Get Their Shot At Scarce Linc Tickets
Eagles fans who have spent years chasing a rare chance at Lincoln Financial Field now get a small but real opening, with tickets set to go on sale June 30 at 10 a.m. Eastern for the 2026 home slate. The sale covers 10 home games, including one preseason game and nine regular season dates, plus a public training camp practice at the stadium, all through Ticketmaster.com with a four-ticket limit per household for games.
The practice will be held Aug. 25 and is the lone open camp session for fans, since workouts at the NovaCare Complex remain closed to the public. General admission tickets are set at $15 and VIP tickets at $50, and the proceeds will benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation, giving the on-sale a feel that is part access event, part fundraiser. [Read more 🡒]
Rosemans 2023 Eagles Draft Class Just Created A Bigger Problem
The Eagles 2023 draft class keeps looking better the more time passes, and that success is part of what makes the next phase so interesting. Jalen Carter has already stacked up the kind of accolades that normally belong to much older players, Nolan Smith has become a real piece of the defense, and even the deeper names from that class have helped shape the roster in different ways. For a front office that has made its reputation on staying ahead of the market, landing impact talent is only the first part of the job.
Philadelphia also has to sort out what comes after the development stage, because not every player in that group fits neatly into the future the same way. Some are still proving they belong, others have carved out roles that matter on special teams or behind the scenes, and a few have already shown enough progress to force bigger decisions than a typical draft class usually creates. The Eagles got value from that group, but now the challenge is figuring out how much of it can be kept together as the roster keeps evolving. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Got A Clear Answer On Tank Bigsbys Value
The Eagles did not have to wait long to learn what Tank Bigsby could do once they brought him in after Week 1, and the answer has been pretty useful. Acquired for a pair of 2026 draft picks, Bigsby settled into a change-of-pace role and handled 16 games without forcing the offense to alter its identity, giving Philadelphia a runner who could spell Miles Sanders and keep the backfield moving.
Bigsby finished with 58 carries for 344 yards and two touchdowns, plus work on kick returns, and his most productive stretch came late enough to make the fit look real rather than temporary. The next question is less about whether he belongs and more about how much the Eagles can keep him in that same lane, with a new season approaching and a contract situation that could eventually push his value beyond being the No. 2 option. [Read more 🡒]