The Philadelphia Eagles’ running back situation is a mess heading into Week 8. Not only has Saquon Barkley re-aggravated his hamstring and is trending in the wrong direction for Sunday Night Football, but Dameon Pierce is now on injured reserve, joining Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley. Talk about incredibly limited options for Philly.
Eagles’ Questionable Call on Barkley Sparks Concern
Barkley’s hamstring issue isn’t new; he re-aggravated it in Week 7. What’s truly bizarre, though, is that the Eagles allowed him to keep playing last week when he was clearly injured. Seriously, everyone watching could see it wasn’t a good idea, and frankly, based on that decision, it’s fair to wonder if the Eagles actually prioritize their players’ safety and health. Now, Barkley didn’t practice on Wednesday and is unlikely to practice today, which means he’s got a real uphill battle if he wants to suit up for Sunday Night Football. We’d be pretty surprised if they put him out there, but hey, given their track record, anything’s possible. Fans definitely need a backup plan if his status is still a goal-line decision come Sunday.
Mitchell Steps Up as Lead Back, Blue Joins the Fold
With Barkley looking doubtful and Pierce, Bigsby, and Shipley all sidelined, Elijah Mitchell is expected to serve as the lead back for Philadelphia. We’ve seen Mitchell have success before when Pierce was the team’s RB1, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t replicate that. Plus, the Eagles are committed to leaning on their rushing attack with Tanner McKee under center, no matter who’s in the backfield. While he might not be a must-start every week, Mitchell is absolutely a startable option if Barkley sits, and he’s a must-roster player right now, even if it’s just to keep him off another team’s roster. He could be starting for multiple weeks, which is huge. To beef up their depth, the Eagles also signed Jaydon Blue to their active roster. He’s probably gonna be Mitchell’s backup, and while we don’t expect much from him this week, he’s definitely a speculative add for deep leagues. He’s one injury away from potentially becoming the RB1 and could see a bigger role if Mitchell doesn’t deliver everything they need. Stash him if you’ve got the space.
So, for Week 8’s Sunday Night Football clash, all eyes are gonna be on the Eagles’ backfield. Can Elijah Mitchell step up and own that RB1 role like we saw Pierce do? Or will the Eagles surprise everyone and put a clearly injured Barkley back out there? Either way, it’s gonna be a high-stakes game for their rushing attack. Keep an eye on Blue too, you never know when a depth guy explodes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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