The Carolina Panthers will not be facing the best version of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Week 6.
These Eagles won’t have QB Jalen Hurts, who is out with a superficial blood clot. Tanner McKee takes his place.
They also aren’t certain whether they’ll have wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.
And the running back position is particularly dicey. Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley are both dealing with injuries.
Is Saquon Barkley Playing in Week 6?
Barkley is not playing in Week 6.
The Eagles officially ruled him out on Friday.
He also has a hamstring injury, and this will be the second consecutive game that Barkley sits out.
His normal backup would be Shipley, except not now.
What Happened to Will Shipley?
Shipley started for Barkley in Week 5 in London, but then he got hurt, too.
His injury is evidently worse, because the Eagles placed Shipley on injured reserve on Friday.
That means Shipley has to miss at least four games.
Eagles RB Depth Chart
Without Barkley or Shipley, things get especially thin in the backfield in a hurry for the Eagles.
The expectation is that Dameon Pierce will dominate the touches. That’s what happened when Shipley left the London game.
Pierce has a solid pedigree that includes a 1,000-yard season as a rookie with the Houston Texans, but he had fallen down team pecking orders in recent years to the point that he was mostly a return man until now.
But at this point, the Eagles don’t have much choice.
They’re also expected to have Carson Steele active. Steele was a bruising running back who initially entered the league with the Kansas City Chiefs, but he has not run efficiently at the NFL level, and it’s not clear whether the Eagles can count on him.
The Eagles also have two RBs on their practice squad: Jaydon Blue and Ian Wheeler.
Blue was a Cowboys draft pick just last season who did play some as a rookie but didn’t stick in Dallas. He’s known for his home-run speed.
Wheeler was a star in the UFL who has bounced around already in the last few months, but the Eagles signed him this week, which could be a sign they’re considering using him, either now or down the road.
Panthers Impact
Without Barkley and Shipley, the Eagles’ running game looks set to struggle.
The backup QB Tanner McKee is a pocket passer, but a promising one. Carolina ought to focus on stopping the pass, because that will likely be Philadelphia’s best chance of winning on Sunday.
Panthers Know If Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley Are Playing For Eagles In Week 6