If you watched Monday night's Eagles-Cowboys game, then you probably saw a wincing Saquon Barkley more than once. Philly's starting RB played just 10 snaps, logging 7 carries and 2 catches on 2 targets while working through his hamstring issue as well as a new back injury. Barkley said after the game, though, that neither injury should be a big deal. He said the "hamstring came out great," according to ESPN's Tim McManus, and that he doesn't expect the back problem to cost him further time.
What They're Saying
McManus: "He tweaked his back on a 29-yard run in the first quarter, and it got progressively worse from there, he said. ... Barkley said he didn't think the back issue would keep him out going forward but deferred to the training staff."
Barkley: "It's kind of the school of thought I come from: I truly love this game, and I feel like if you're able to go, sometimes you've got to push your body to the limit. I'm trying, it's just not responding the way I want it to respond right now. It sucks because I'm trying to be the best leader I can be, and it's hard when you're not able to be out there and perform for your team."
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
Barkley touched the ball on all 10 of his snaps, including a third-quarter run that got nullified by a holding penalty. So the Eagles clearly managed his usage very closely.
It's tough to say how much the hamstring governed that vs. the back issue, because that "tweak" came on Philly's second offensive play. Barkley scored his TD two plays later.
Barkley went limited, limited, full for the practice week before carrying a "questionable" tag into the game. We'll see about his participation heading into next Sunday night's clash with the Commanders.
Even if he's ready, though, it doesn't seem we should expect full usage for Barkley. We'll update the Week 8 RB rankings as needed throughout the week.
We'll also track Dameon Pierce, who left Monday night's game late with an undisclosed injury. Elijah Mitchell finished the game as Philadelphia's backfield leader.
