Eagles Barkley Showing Fight But Is It Time For An Extended Breather

by Marc Narducci | Nov 6, 2026

The Eagles are such a difficult team to watch these days. There are too many injured players, too many inadequate replacements resulting in too many losses.

The Eagles are now 2-6, having lost six in a row following Sunday night’s 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders.

This was a game that the Eagles led 10-0 before the flood gates once again opened.

In the game, running back Saquon Barkley battling a hamstring injury, had 13 carries for 30 yards and a TD. That is a measly 2.3 yards per carry. He also had one reception for 24 yards.

Barkley is banged up, plus he is running behind a substandard offensive line.

The games don’t mean much now with this season already hopelessly over, despite more than half the games remaining.

If one looks at the stats, they actually aren’t bad. Barkley has missed two games this season due to injury and has rushed for 274 yards and a more than respectable 4.9 yards per carry and two touchdowns.

As a comparison, last year Barkley averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

During the Super Bowl winning season in 2024, he averaged 5.8 yards, on 345 attempts for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns. Remember, Barkley wanted to play in the final meaningful regular season game that season when he was well within the NFL single-season rushing mark of 2,105 set by Eric Dickerson in 1984. The Eagles wisely sat him out that final game of the 2024 regular season.

Barkley then had another 91 carries for 499 yards (5.5 avg.) and five touchdowns in the postseason.

That was quite a workload and there is a theory going around that he has never recovered.

After the Commanders loss, he told reporters, “With my hammy, my body isn’t where it is needed to be.”

That is enough for me to sit him out.

The Eagles aren’t battling for anything but respect.

Barkley should get 100 percent healthy.

Plus, what if he suffered an even worse injury?

It would be easy for Barkley to use the injury as an excuse to sit out, and it is laudable that he wants to be out there playing with a bunch of second stringers.

Yet that isn’t helping him as a player. Yes, it’s true that Barkley at less than 100 percent is better than many players (especially those on this injury depilated backfield).

That said, Barkley will turn 30 in February and that is usually near the end of the warranty for a running back’s career.

One other thing he said in the postgame interview is “We are not the big bad Eagles anymore.”

That is certainly the case.

And he isn’t the big bad Saquon Barkley, due to this injury.

Maybe if more people had the fight in them that Barkley did, the Eagles could be in a better situation.

That said, Barkley’s long-term future could be compromised if the injury becomes worse.

It says here that a healthy Barkley can still be among the better running backs in the NFL, just not the 2024 version, which isn’t coming back.

Even the 2025 version (1,140 yards, 4.1 avg., 7 TDs) won’t return if he can’t remain healthy.

The Eagles should take the decision out of Barkley’s hand and let him get healthy.

It’s best for his future and that of the Eagles as well.

Saquon Barkley / Courtesy Philadelphia Eagles

Article continues below

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Author: Marc Narducci

Eagles Barkley Showing Fight But Is It Time For An Extended Breather

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