Thanks to injuries to Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby, the Eagles were down to the unproven Will Shipley as their starting running back in Week 5. Facing the Jaguars’ NFL-leading run defense, Shipley and the Eagles’ ground game didn’t generate much in a crushing 19-17 loss in London. Worsening matters, Shipley suffered a partial tear of his plantar fascia and could miss multiple games, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick from Clemson, has mostly worked on special teams during his career. He has picked up just 64 NFL carries, including five on Sunday. The Jaguars limited Shipley to 6 yards before he left in the first half. The Eagles’ other ball carriers, RB Dameon Pierce (11 runs, 14 yards) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (two attempts, 2 yards), weren’t any better. All told, Philadelphia mustered a paltry 22 yards on 18 carries.
For now, Pierce and practice squad options Jaydon Blue and Carson Steele are the only healthy backs in the organization. Barkley has been down since he suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter in a loss to the Rams in Week 4. Bigsby, who is on IR with a core-muscle injury, will miss at least three more games.
Fortunately for Philadelphia, there is a chance Barkley will return against the Panthers in Week 6, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Whether that happens will depend on how the three-time Pro Bowler looks in practice. The same goes for wide receiver DeVonta Smith, per Garafolo.
Smith, who is also dealing with a hamstring issue, has missed back-to-back games. The 27-year-old took over as the Eagles’ No. 1 wideout after they traded A.J. Brown to the Patriots over the summer, and he looked the part over the first three weeks of the season. With 19 catches, 235 yards and a touchdown, Smith has been a rare bright spot in what has been a popgun offense under new coordinator Sean Mannion.
Owners of a 2-3 record and losers of three in a row, the Eagles are stuck in the league’s basement in total offense (31st), scoring (29th) and passing (28th). If Barkley and Smith get back on the field on Sunday, it would obviously improve their chances of snapping out of this funk and getting back to .500.