The Philadelphia Eagles might make you feel bad after a three game losing streak … but, hey, here’s some good news, maybe?!
It looks like DeVonta Smith and/or Saquon Barkley could be back on the field for Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers:
Smith missed the Eagles’ last two games with a hamstring injury. Last week, he was seen doing stretches near the rest of the team during warmups before missing practice. I would guess he’s even farther than Barkley, who was not seen in practice last week.
The return of either player — let alone both — would be a positive development for what is arguably the worst offense in the NFL right now.
Barkley’s return would be ideal as the Eagles will be without RB2 Tank Bigsby (who is on injured reserve) and RB3 Will Shipley (who suffered a foot injury on Sunday). If Barkley can’t settle, the Eagles’ three running backs are: Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, and Jaydon Blue.
At the same time, you don’t want to see the Eagles bring these players back before they’re truly ready to play or else risk re-aggravating those hammy injuries.
Also, it’s not exactly like the Eagles were crushing the offense before Barkley and Smith got hurt. Their return alone will not fix the issues plaguing this group. But it certainly works towards pointing the team back in the right direction.
The Eagles will hold their first practice leading up to the Panthers game on Wednesday. The damage reports to be released then, Thursday, and Friday are worth keeping an eye on.