Saquon Barkley expects to suit up for the Philadelphia Eagles in their Week 3 clash against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. This is huge news coming off his nasty stinger injury from last weekend’s hard-fought win over the Tennessee Titans, where he got dinged on the *very first offensive snap*. Talk about a gut punch to start the game, right? You immediately worry about your star playmaker.
Barkley’s Status: All Clear?!
The man briefly came back in the third quarter against the Titans, but then he was chilling on the sideline for the rest of the action. You gotta worry when you see a star back like that on the bench. But get this: NFL insider Mike Garafolo dropped a report that “all checked out OK” for Barkley in the aftermath of that Week 2 scare. Man, those three words are like pure gold to Eagles fans right now, especially after seeing him briefly re-enter the game in the third quarter only to watch the rest from the sideline. You gotta admit, we all held our breath a little after that, wondering what the real deal was. He was even spotted warming up for Thursday’s practice, rocking a neck roll. That’s the kind of grit you need from your best players early in the season. We’re definitely waiting on the official injury report later today to see if he was full-go or limited, but just the sight of him pushing to get back out there is a massive boost.
The Eagles’ Ground Game Needs a Spark
Look, the Eagles’ ground game has been sputtering, straight up struggling to find its rhythm and identity so far this season. Having a talent like Barkley back in the mix is absolutely preferable to the alternative, no question about it. But here’s the kicker: even with Barkley expected to be back, the report makes it clear there’s no guarantee the Eagles will suddenly be able to run all over the Bears defense. That means this offense has to be smart, even with their main weapon returning. After Barkley went down in Week 2, we saw Tank Bigsby step into the spotlight, taking the most carries with 13. Interestingly, Will Shipley actually logged more snaps than Bigsby, despite getting six fewer carries. That split tells you a lot about how they were trying to manage things, and Bigsby not participating in Thursday’s practice just muddies those waters even more for the Week 3 game plan.
Other Injury Concerns Loom
And speaking of practice, it’s not just Barkley everyone’s watching. DeVonta Smith was spotted warming up for Thursday’s session without pads. That’s usually a pretty clear sign he’s not fully participating, isn’t it? Maybe the Eagles are smartly managing his workload to ensure he’s fresh for Monday Night Football. You can’t burn out your playmakers this early in the grind. Then there’s Tank Bigsby, who completely sat out Thursday’s practice. With him potentially limited or out, and Smith’s status a bit up in the air, getting Saquon Barkley back, even if it’s not a full-go performance, becomes even more absolutely critical for that offense heading into a big primetime game. We’re definitely gonna be glued to that official injury report dropping later today to get the full picture on everyone’s availability.
So, the big question heading into Monday Night Football is how much juice Barkley will actually have, and if his return can truly kickstart that struggling run game against the Bears. Keep your eyes peeled for that official injury report later today. It’s gonna give us a clearer picture of what the Eagles are really cooking up for Week 3. This one’s gonna be a grinder!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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