Saquon Barkley returned to the Philadelphia Eagles' lineup for their Week 7 "Monday Night Football" game against the Dallas Cowboys after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
It didn't take the 29-year-old running back long to get dinged up again as he returned to the field.
On his first carry of the game against the Cowboys, Barkley appeared to tweak something while ripping off a 29-yard run. He gutted through the injury for most of the first half but played just one official snap after halftime while dealing with what the Eagles eventually announced as a back injury.
Barkley has expressed optimism about his health, but it remains unclear whether he can make the quick turnaround
to return for his team's Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders.
Here's what to know about Barkley's injury as the 2-5 Eagles look to get off the schneid in Week 8.
Saquon Barkley injury update
Barkley said that his "hamstring came out great" from the Eagles' Week 7 loss to the Cowboys, per ESPN's Tim McManus. The 29-year-old also expressed confidence he would not need to miss time because of his back injury, which would potentially give him a chance to play in Week 8.
That said, Barkley will likely need to get on the practice field to have a chance to play against the Commanders in Week 8. As such, his practice status will bear monitoring throughout the week.
Did Saquon Barkley practice today?
Barkley did not participate in the Eagles' practice on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The 29-year-old will have two more chances to get on the practice field on Thursday and Friday ahead of Philadelphia's Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders.
Presumably, Barkley will need to be upgraded at least to "limited" – if not, "full" participation – at one practice session to have a chance to play in Week 8.
Who is Saquon Barkley's backup RB?
In recent weeks, veteran Dameon Pierce has served as the Eagles' backup to Barkley. However, Pierce suffered an injury at the end of the Eagles vs. Cowboys game and was placed on IR.
Barkley and Pierce were the only running backs on the Eagles' 53-man roster before the latter was placed on IR, but Philadelphia moved quickly to sign Jaydon Blue from its practice squad to replace Pierce. The Cowboys' 2025 fifth-round pick logged 129 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries as a rookie but was surprisingly released by Dallas ahead of his second season.
While Blue is technically Barkey's backup on the Eagles' depth chart, it's unclear whether he will get the bulk of the workload at the position. Veteran Elijah Mitchell was called up from Philadelphia's practice squad ahead of Blue for the team's game against the Cowboys, so the team could use a similar arrangement in Week 8.
Eagles RB depth chart
Below is a full look at how the Eagles' running back depth chart is looking heading into Week 8:
- Saquon Barkley (injured)
- Jaydon Blue
- Elijah Mitchell (practice squad)
Mitchell, 28, was a sixth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft. He posted 1,100 scrimmage yards as a rookie but struggled to stay healthy in ensuing seasons and has bounced around the league as a result.
Mitchell originally signed with the Eagles on June 2 before the team released him on Aug. 11. He rejoined the team's practice squad on Oct. 16 and had three carries for 11 yards in Philadelphia's Week 7 game against Dallas.
The Eagles also have their backup running back, Tank Bigsby, and third-stringer, Will Shipley, on IR due to injuries. Philadelphia also released fourth-stringer Carson Steele after he suffered a shoulder injury, so the team is down to the dregs of its running back depth.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saquon Barkley injury update as Eagles RB misses Wednesday's practice
