After missing several games due to a hamstring injury, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley hurt his back on his first play against the Cowboys in Week 7. He was able to play 10 total snaps that game, and was adamant in the days after that he was committed to playing on Sunday night against the Commanders, even if he wasn’t fully healthy.
How much the back injury was impacted Barkley was highlighted after the Eagles second offensive drive in Washington, which ended with the RB taking a direct snap and
running it three yards into the endzone for the first TD of the game. After his score, Barkley was moving and stretching non-stop on the sidelines, with the broadcast noting that he couldn’t sit down as he tried to stay loose.
It doesn’t seem ideal to be playing a running back who can’t stop stretching his back muscles.
He stayed off the field for the rest of the first quarter, but did start taking snaps again in the second — and was even inexplicably used to run out the clock near halftime. Barkley was already on a pitch count heading into the game, and played 22 snaps with 13 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.
After the loss, the RB admitted that while he’s mentally where he needs to be, with the hamstring and back injuries, he’s not physically where he wants to be.
According to reports, and to Barkley himself, the Eagles have stated they are not moving the running back ahead of the trade deadline next week, Nov. 10. With that in mind, and his future still in Philly, the team really needs to consider shutting him down for a little while and give his body a real chance to heal, instead of making things worse for a season that isn’t turning around.
