Saquon Barkley is trending toward a return when the Eagles face the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and Philadelphia could use him.
Barkley has missed the last two games after hurting his hamstring on the second drive of the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles dropped both of those games while he watched from the sideline, but the signs this week have pointed toward a possible comeback in Week 7.
Philadelphia started hinting at the move earlier in the week with a few roster decisions that opened space at running back. The team placed Carson Steele on IR after he suffered a shoulder injury in the Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The Eagles also released Jaydon Blue and Ian Wheeler, with Blue later returning to the practice squad, and signed Elijah Mitchell to the practice squad. That kind of maneuvering at the position was the first real clue Barkley could be back.
NFL insider Mike Garafolo then reported that Barkley was slated to practice during the week and was in line to start against the Cowboys. Barkley was limited in all three Eagles practices, and the final injury report listed him as questionable with a hamstring injury.
That tag leaves some uncertainty, but the overall picture points in one direction.
The Eagles have badly missed Barkley in the run game. Over the last two games without him, Philadelphia has rushed for just 57 yards on 31 carries, a miserable 1.8 yards per attempt. Dameon Pierce handled 23 carries across those matchups, and the injury hits kept piling up afterward, with Will Shipley and Steele both going on IR in back-to-back weeks.
Barkley’s numbers this season show why his return matters. He has run for 182 yards on 36 carries and caught four passes for eight yards, while averaging 5.1 yards per carry, one yard better than last season.
The timing looks even better for Philly because DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks will not be available, which puts even more of the offense on Barkley’s shoulders. There is also a chance Landon Dickerson returns from his knee injury, which could give the Eagles a better chance to lean on the ground game.
The matchup itself also offers an opening. Dallas has allowed the second-most rushing yards per game in the league this season at 149.8, so if Barkley is active, he could be the spark Philadelphia needs.
Nothing is final until the inactive list comes out, but all signs suggest Barkley is on track to play. If he does, the Eagles may have just enough firepower to challenge a 2-4 Cowboys team with the same record as Philadelphia.
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