The Philadelphia Eagles feel like the least convincing 2-0 team in the NFL right now. They opened the season with a narrow victory over the winless Washington Commanders, then came back late in Week 2 to beat the Tennessee Titans, another team still looking for its first win of the season.
That game against the Titans was arguably more concerning, not only because of the opponent, but also because the Eagles lost star running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley was injured on the opening drive but returned late in the second half and rushed for just 9 yards on four carries. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI this week to determine the severity of the injury, and the results are apparently good.
Barkley returned to practice with the Eagles on Thursday, and Jeff McLean of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Barkley is expected to play in Week 3’s prime-time game against the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football.”
more newsJa’Marr Chase slams NFL for punishing unusual touchdown celebration
more news: Joey Porter Jr. breaks silence on contract standoff with Steelers
Barkley has a long injury history, dealing with ankle sprains, knee sprains, groin sprains and just about every other type of soft tissue injury during his NFL career. But his performance in Philadelphia has been relatively stable over the past few years, playing 16 games in each of the past two seasons. The sting usually doesn’t cause a player to miss much (if any) time, but given Barkley’s importance to the offense and the team’s undefeated run, there was concern that the Eagles might take a more cautious approach with their All-Pro back.
As it turns out, that may not be the case, and all signs now point to Barkley going all out against a Bears defense that’s giving up a lot on the ground. In Week 1, the Panthers’ backfield rushed for 125 yards on 22 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry; in Week 2 against the Vikings, Aaron Jones rushed for 105 yards on 23 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. So Monday provides a perfect opportunity for Barkley, who has yet to surpass 100 yards rushing this season, to bounce back.
more news: Sean McVay reveals troubling update on Pukanacua’s injury