With Saquon Barkley sidelined by a hamstring injury and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve after core muscle surgery, the Eagles are headed into Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in London with Will Shipley positioned for the biggest workload of his NFL career.
Shipley, the Eagles’ third-year running back, is the last man standing on the team’s initial 53-man roster and is expected to start while handling the bulk of the carries. For a player who has spent most of his time buried behind Barkley, Kenny Gainwell and Bigsby, the stage has finally opened up.
“Yeah, I’m ready to go,” Shipley said. “There’s no doubt about it.
I believe that the Lord’s put me here for a reason. And the opportunity that comes, I’m going to be ready for it whatever it is.
Just go out there and focus on executing one play at a time.”
A fourth-round pick in 2024, Shipley, 24, has never really had the kind of extended runway he’s about to get. In his NFL career, he has not played more than 52.9% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps in a game, has never carried the ball more than 10 times and has never had more than 14 touches in a game. All of that should change Sunday.
Technically, Shipley already has a start on his résumé, though it came in unusual fashion. In 2024 against the Buccaneers, he was on the field for the opening snap alongside Barkley. This one feels different - his first true chance to function as the lead back.
“I think that I’ve been preparing as a starter since the first game my rookie year against Green Bay in Brazil,” Shipley said. “Each week it doesn’t really change for me.
I prepare like the starter and the word opportunity is just a word. We’ll see what opportunities come.
At the end of the day, it just comes down to the same thing for me and that’s just executing one play at a time, whatever the role looks like.”
The Eagles aren’t asking Shipley to carry the backfield alone. Veteran Dameon Pierce will also be part of the rotation after being promoted to the 53-man roster this week. The team had kept him on the practice squad to begin the season, but now he’s back in the mix after previously serving as a feature back with the Texans a few years ago.
“DP is unbelievable, man,” Shipley said. “ He’s done it in this league.
He’s showed what he can do, he’s got the experience. I’ve learned a lot from him and he’s a baller.
He’s shown it through camp and he’s got the trust of all the guys in the locker room.
Through the first four weeks, Shipley has mostly filled a supporting role on offense while contributing on special teams. That balance is likely to shift Sunday, with more offensive snaps coming his way and fewer special teams reps. So far this season, he has 15 carries for 51 yards and four catches for 24 yards, and he has already surpassed his rushing total from 2025.
The way Shipley talks about the moment tells you plenty about how he’s approaching it. He isn’t trying to chase the size of the opportunity.
He’s just narrowing his focus day by day. When the Eagles worked on early downs Wednesday, that was his emphasis.
When Thursday turned to third downs, he moved on to that. No grand speeches.
No trying to force the moment. Just the next snap.
And even with Barkley unavailable, Shipley will still have one of his biggest supporters in his corner.
“He’s done it since my rookie year as we all saw in the NFC Championship Game when I scored a touchdown,” Shipley said. “He’s just such a role model for me, someone I look up to.
Day in and day out, he tries to help me, help me learn, help me get better. Having someone like that, having him in my corner, just always cheering me on, man, is a blessing for sure.”
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