Saquon Barkley sat out practice again on Friday, making it a full week on the sideline with a hamstring injury and leaving the Eagles in a rough spot heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers.
The team will announce its Week 6 game statuses later Friday, but Barkley’s absence all week points strongly toward him being unavailable.
Philadelphia was already dealing with a blow at quarterback. Jalen Hurts has been ruled out because of a blood clot in his calf, so the Eagles had only two quarterbacks on the field Friday.
Tanner McKee is in line to start, with Cole Payton backing him up. The team is also signing QB Joe Mixon from the Cowboys practice squad, though he was not present on the field Friday afternoon.
Barkley was one of several players who did not practice Friday. The full group also included Hurts (calf), OLB Jalyx Hunt (ankle/knee), DB Michael Carter II, OLB A.J. Epenesa (back), and RB Will Shipley (foot).
There was better news elsewhere on the injury front. DeVonta Smith was back out there again Friday with his helmet on, and he appeared to be practicing after returning Thursday as a limited participant with a hamstring issue.
Dontayvion Wicks also made it back to the field Friday after missing Thursday’s session because of a hamstring injury. And C Drew Kendall was practicing again Friday after being limited Thursday; he had a brace on his left knee.
A number of players who were limited Thursday were back practicing Friday: WR Smith, C Kendall, RG Tyler Steen (shoulder), LG Landon Dickerson (knee), OLB Jonathan Greenard (ankle), WR Hollywood Brown (ankle), TE Eli Stowers (quad), TE E.J. Jenkins (toe), TE Grant Calcaterra (back), and CB Jakorian Bennett (knee).
Dickerson, Stowers, Bennett and Calcaterra all had their 21-day practice windows opened earlier this week, and each would need to be activated to the 53-man roster before they can play.
In Other News...
Jalen Hurts Backlash Just Added Another Layer To Eagles Concern
Jalen Hurts absence already landed hard in Philadelphia because of the medical seriousness behind it, and now the discussion around his injury has spilled into another layer of noise. The Eagles quarterback is sidelined after doctors found a blood clot that had moved, a development serious enough to keep him out at least against the Panthers, and the team has had to absorb the uncertainty without one of its defining players.
Former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson only made the backdrop noisier when he questioned the injury circumstances on NFL Network, drawing a sharp public response from Robert Griffin III. Griffin pushed back on Robinsons remarks while also praising Drake Mayes recent play for New England, but for the Eagles, the larger issue remains the one they cannot shortcut: Hurts health and the wait to see how long this situation will keep him off the field. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Sent A Complicated Signal On Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts being sidelined indefinitely has put the Eagles in an awkward spot, even as the team tries to keep its quarterback available for as long as possible. The injury, a superficial blood clot in his calf, is serious enough to pause his on-field work, but Philadelphia is not taking the next step that would lock him into a longer absence.
What makes the situation more complicated is the timing. The issue was already known by Week 4, and while medical experts believe Hurts could miss more than a month, the Eagles are leaving the door open rather than shutting it completely. For a team trying to navigate the next stretch without its starter, that means the focus shifts from a clean timeline to an uncertain wait that could stretch toward late October or early November. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Hurts Drew Serious Backlash Over How His Health Was Discussed
Jalen Hurts health became the center of an ugly and unnecessary debate this week after an NFL Network analyst floated the idea that the Eagles quarterback could be using a blood clot to dodge blame for the teams offensive struggles. Michael Robinson later acknowledged he is not a medical expert, but his remarks still minimized the seriousness of a condition that has kept Hurts status in the spotlight and added another layer of noise around a season already under a microscope.
The reaction was swift, with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III publicly pushing back and stressing that this is not the kind of issue that should be handled casually. For Philadelphia, the episode was another reminder of how quickly concerns about Hurts can spill beyond the field, especially when the conversation turns from football to health and the line between criticism and irresponsibility starts to blur. [Read more 🡒]