The Eagles’ injury problems got even messier against the Rams when Saquon Barkley left with another early-game setback.
Barkley was hurt on Philadelphia’s second drive after running toward the sideline and coming up hobbling. FOX NFL sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi said Barkley was headed to the locker room with a hamstring injury, and he was listed as questionable.
It’s the second time Barkley has been knocked out early in the first quarter. In the Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans, he suffered a stinger and ended up playing just 10 snaps.
For Philadelphia, it’s another frustrating turn in what has already been a rough stretch for Barkley through four games. Every time he seems to find a little rhythm, something else gets in the way.
With Barkley in doubt, the Eagles were left to lean on Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley in the backfield. Neither has really found a way to build momentum this season, which makes the job even harder against the Rams.
The timing couldn’t be worse for an offense already short-handed. DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Lane Johnson were all ruled out before the game, leaving Dontayvion Wicks as WR1, Zach Ertz stepping in at tight end, and Markel Bell replacing Johnson.
That left Jalen Hurts carrying even more of the load. With so many injuries stacking up, the Eagles’ offense was suddenly trying to piece things together on the fly.
The running game, in particular, looked like a major question. Bigsby and Shipley had the backfield to themselves, but with two starting offensive linemen out, it was hard to see an easy path for the ground attack.
Eagles fans were left waiting to see how the rest of the game unfolded, and Barkley’s status loomed over everything. If he couldn’t return, it would only make Philadelphia’s path against the Rams that much steeper.
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Tank Bigsby stepped in after Barkley exited, with Will Shipley also picking up snaps as the Eagles tried to piece together the running game on the fly. Barkley has still produced 174 rushing yards through the first four weeks, but the bigger worry now is whether this is becoming a pattern rather than a one-off, and how long Philadelphia can keep its ground game on track if he keeps getting dinged up. [Read more 🡒]