Gainwell carried the ball four times for 23 yards in Friday's 16-13 preseason win over the Ravens. Reporting earlier in the day suggested that Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' first-team offense would get a series at the beginning of the game, but instead Gainwell got the start in the backfield and played the first handful of snaps before giving way to Will Shipley on Philadelphia's second possession. Gainwell's experience in Nick Sirianni's system has him penciled into the No. 2 spot on the running back depth chart behind Barkley, but the team used a fourth-round pick in this year's draft on Shipley, and the rookie found the end zone Friday as he builds a case to take over the top backup job.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Kenneth Gainwell news
Team
Philadelphia Eagles
Birthdate
3/14/1999 (25)
Status
Active
HT/WT
5'9", 200 lbs
Draft Info
2021: Rd 5; Pk (PHI)
Birthplace
Antioch, CA, USA
Position
RB
College
Memphis
Experience
4 seasons
Career History
Philadelphia Eagles
2021-Present
(4 seasons)
Gainwell carried the ball four times for 23 yards in Friday's 16-13 preseason win over the Ravens. Reporting earlier in the day suggested that Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' first-team offense would get a series at the beginning of the game, but instead Gainwell got the start in the backfield and played the first handful of snaps before giving way to Will Shipley on Philadelphia's second possession. Gainwell's experience in Nick Sirianni's system has him penciled into the No. 2 spot on the running back depth chart behind Barkley, but the team used a fourth-round pick in this year's draft on Shipley, and the rookie found the end zone Friday as he builds a case to take over the top backup job.
Gainwell is getting some first-team reps early in training camp, Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green reports. It's not exactly surprising that a fourth-year pro with 1,071 career snaps on offense is starting camp ahead of rookie fourth-round pick Will Shipley on the depth chart. The question is whether Gainwell can hold the youngster off all summer for a backup role that doesn't figure to entail much playing time so long as Saquon Barkley is healthy.
Gainwell is poised to operate as the backup to Saquon Barkley, who slated to sign a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports. Gainwell looks set to remain Philadelphia's No. 2 running back, but instead of backing up D'Andre Swift (who is set to join the Bears on a three-year, $24 million contract), he'll look to complement an established, true three-down workhorse in Barkley. That could spell less opportunities for offensive touches for Gainwell, who tallied career-high marks with 84 carries for 364 yards and two scores in 2023, but he should retain quality value as an insurance option behind Barkley. Gainwell's versatility makes him a solid depth option for Philadelphia, though the team could still add further reserves to the backfield.
The game lasted an additional seven-plus minutes, but Gainwell still didn't play much of a role, finishing with fewer than five touches for the third consecutive game. He averaged 16.5 touches in his first two games of the season but has now averaged just 5.3 touches over his last eight contests. Gainwell did have a key 23-yard run to set up a sneak by Jalen Hurts for the first score of the game, but his lack of volume gives him little fantasy appeal.
Gainwell played a minimal role in the rushing game, but his receptions, receiving yards and targets (five) all represented season highs. In terms of total touches, however, he's now been held to single digits for five consecutive games, and his offensive snap count fell to a season-low 18.