Saquon Barkley’s Usage Raises Questions as Eagles Offense Stalls
When the Eagles signed Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million deal this past offseason, it turned heads-not just because of the dollars, but because of who was writing the check. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia’s general manager, has long been known for his reluctance to invest heavily in running backs.
But this time, he made an exception. And then, after just one season, the Eagles doubled down with a two-year, $41.2 million extension that included $36 million guaranteed and the potential for $15 million more in incentives.
Now, 12 games into Barkley’s second season in midnight green, the results are mixed-and the questions are piling up.
Let’s be clear: Barkley hasn’t been bad. But for a player who was the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, the numbers aren’t what you’d expect.
He’s yet to crack 750 rushing yards. He’s averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and has four rushing touchdowns.
That’s not the kind of production you hope for when you're paying premium money at a position where the league has increasingly leaned toward value and rotation.
But this isn’t all on Barkley. The Eagles’ offensive line, typically a strength, has been inconsistent.
Injuries and execution have both taken a toll. And the play calling hasn’t done Barkley-or the offense-many favors either.
The Eagles have leaned heavily on their star running back, but haven’t done much to lighten his load or diversify the attack.
Which brings us to Tank Bigsby.
The rookie back has quietly made the most of his limited opportunities. He’s averaging over nine yards per carry and has consistently moved the chains when given the chance-seven of his carries have resulted in first downs. But somehow, Bigsby has been all but invisible in the game plan over the last two weeks, both of which ended in losses.
Against the Cowboys, he got just one carry-an eight-yard gain. Five days later, he didn’t touch the ball at all.
That’s not a typo. Zero carries.
Head coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Bigsby’s role and gave a familiar refrain: Barkley is the lead back, and they want to get him more than 13 carries per game. Sirianni added that the staff has confidence in Bigsby when he’s on the field and that he’s made “some really good plays.” But for now, the plan is to “continue to roll the way we are rolling.”
The problem is, the way they’re rolling… isn’t working.
Philadelphia’s offense has sputtered in recent weeks, and the reluctance to use one of the few players who’s been effective in limited snaps is baffling. Bigsby has shown burst, vision, and an ability to create chunk plays. In an offense that’s begging for a spark, it’s hard to understand why he’s not being used more.
Is this about protecting Barkley’s status as the lead back? Managing egos?
Pressure from the front office to justify the investment? We don’t know.
But what we do know is that Bigsby has earned more touches-and the Eagles need answers fast.
The NFC playoff picture is tightening. Philadelphia can’t afford to leave potential playmakers on the sidelines. If the coaching staff is serious about getting the offense back on track, it might be time to rethink the distribution in the backfield.
Because right now, the numbers-and the eye test-are telling the same story: Barkley could use some help, and Bigsby deserves a bigger role.