Philadelphia’s ground game took an early hit on Sunday. Running back Saquon Barkley left the Eagles’ Week 4 game against thewith a right hamstring injury and is officially questionable to return.
The Eagles were already short on skill-position pieces at Lincoln Financial Field. Losing the man who has carried their run game made the afternoon harder still.
Saquon Barkley pulled up after going out of bounds on a 6-yard run to the left. He tried to hop back to the Philadelphia sideline, then stopped and took a knee, hitting his right hamstring as he tried to work it loose.
He walked off under his own power and went into the sideline medical tent. After a long stay there, he headed to the locker room for further checks. The team has not given a grade on the strain. Until those tests come back, no one outside the building can say whether this is a brief absence or something that stretches into next week.
The play sat on a drive Philadelphia had just stolen. Matthew Stafford, looking for Konata Mumpfield over the middle, overshot the target. Andrew Mukuba dived and came away with the interception, the Eagles’ first takeaway of the season. Jake Elliott then hit a 29-yard field goal, and Philadelphia led 3-0.
The timing is awkward because the Eagles did not enter this game at full strength. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith was already out with a hamstring problem of his own. Tight end Dallas Goedert was sidelined by a knee injury. Right tackle Lane Johnson was scratched for personal reasons, and linebacker Zack Baun was also unavailable.
Barkley had not been fully clear of trouble either. He left early against Tennessee two weeks ago with a stinger and was limited last week. Through three games he had 174 rushing yards and no touchdown. On Sunday he had two carries for eight yards, plus a short catch, before the hamstring stopped him.
For a back who lives on burst and cutting, a hamstring is the kind of injury teams treat carefully. ’s next stop is at Jacksonville on October 11, with Carolina and Dallas after that. The club will not know his place in that run until the medical staff finishes its work.
Tank Bigsby came in to replace him, with Will Shipley also available. Bigsby picked up a first down on a seven-yard run soon after, then lost yardage on third-and-1, and the drive stalled into Elliott’s field goal. That is the shape of the afternoon without Barkley: short-yardage work, a backup rotation, and fewer easy answers on early downs.
Bigsby and Shipley have split snaps before, including the Tennessee game when Barkley exited on the opening carry. Neither has Barkley’s home-run speed. Against a Rams front that still has Matthew Stafford and a quick passing game, the Eagles need those carries to stay on schedule so is not left throwing into a crowded box.
Barkley is officially questionable to return, which leaves the door open for the second half if the checks are clean. A locker-room trip usually points the other way. The Eagles will need imaging before they can say how serious the hamstring is and whether he can play next week.
