Saquon Barkley’s day was cut short almost immediately Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, and the Eagles were left sorting out their backfield without him for at least part of the game.
Barkley needed just one carry before heading into the medical tent and then jogging to the locker room after grabbing the left side of his body. The Eagles listed him as questionable to return with a stinger, which is the encouraging part of the update. He was back on the sideline after spending time in the locker room, and the team appeared likely to be cautious with him in Week 2.
With Barkley out for the moment, the Eagles’ next move at running back is straightforward: Bigsby is taking over the bulk of the work. He barely got on the field at running back in Week 1 because Barkley was healthy, and his touch count has been limited whenever Barkley is available. That changes now, with Bigsby stepping in as the No. 1 back.
Bigsby has already shown he can handle a bigger role. Last season with the Eagles, he logged 58 carries for 344 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games, good for 5.9 yards per carry.
His best stretch came late in the year, when he piled up 39 carries for 176 yards and two touchdowns over the final four games, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. With Barkley on the roster and making $20.5 million a year, the chances were always going to be limited.
This is the opening Bigsby has been waiting for, and he’s a free agent after the year.
Shipley moves up into the No. 2 role and should see more work in the passing game. He’ll also mix in for some carries as a change-of-pace option behind Bigsby.
Shipley was pushed down the depth chart after the Eagles acquired Bigsby last season, and he hasn’t been used much as a running back since then. Both Shipley and Bigsby are also handling kick return duties, which is another piece of this situation to watch.
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Barkley has been central to the Eagles ability to control games and keep the playbook balanced, so even a short-term absence would ripple beyond one position group. The next stretch becomes about two things at once: how the team manages his availability and how quickly it can adjust if it has to lean more heavily on the backs behind him. [Read more 🡒]
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Eagles Make A Late O-Line Change That Could Mean More
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For Philadelphia, the change speaks to how much the line is still being sorted out while Dickersons return remains uncertain. The Eagles have plenty riding on keeping the interior intact, and this switch gives them a different combination to test as they try to protect the rhythm of the offense without one of their most reliable blockers in the mix. [Read more 🡒]