The Eagles are facing a brutal reality just a few weeks into the season: star running back Saquon Barkley and dynamic wide receiver DeVonta Smith both sat out Wednesday’s practice with hamstring injuries. This isn’t just about a couple of guys missing reps, this is a serious blow to an offense that needs all its weapons.
Barkley’s Hamstring Is a Real Problem
Barkley’s hamstring issue is particularly worrying. He barely saw the field in Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Rams, leaving the game after just two carries for a measly 8 yards. To have your main guy in the backfield sidelined this early, and after such a short appearance in the last game, it just screams trouble. You can’t run an effective offense in this league without a healthy ground game, and Barkley’s absence leaves a huge hole.
A Laundry List of Injuries Piling Up
It’s not just Barkley. DeVonta Smith is also dealing with a hamstring injury, which means two of their absolute top playmakers are out. But the injury report gets even longer: wide receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle), linebacker Jihaad Campbell (knee), safety Marcus Epps (groin), outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard (ankle), and center Drew Kendall (knee) all missed practice Wednesday. On top of that, linebacker Zack Baun (concussion), tight end Dallas Goedert (knee), offensive tackle Fred Johnson (knee), and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (knee) were limited. Goedert has already missed two games after spraining his MCL in Week 2, and Baun sat out Sunday’s matchup. This team is battling serious injury issues across the board right now.
This is a real gut-check moment for the Eagles. They need these guys back on the field, and healthy, if they want to get things back on track. The depth is getting tested big-time, and we’ll see if they can weather this storm.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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