Help is needed at running back for the Philadelphia Eagles. During the Week 4 loss against the Los Angeles Rams, the Eagles lost two running backs.
It started with Saquon Barkley. During the first half, the star rusher suffered a hamstring injury, which ended his afternoon after two carries.
Tank Bigsby played for most of the game and made up for the loss of Barkley. However, he went down with a big injury late in the second half.
Bigsby will go on the injured reserve, which means he is facing a long-term recovery. As for Barkley, he’ll avoid the IR, but will be evaluated week by week, without an actual target date in place.
The Eagles are going to need to consider bringing in some outside help if they don’t trust elevating one of their practice squad options.
Ex-Commanders RB Tabbed As Option For Eagles After Barkley Injury
USA Today’s Eagles Wire ran off a handful of intriguing options, including the former Washington Commanders running back, Antonio Gibson.
The 28-year-old veteran is a former third-round pick who was picked up by Washington during the 2020 NFL Draft. he is currently a free agent.
“Gibson offers a useful combination of size, receiving experience, and special-teams value,” Eagles Wire’s Glenn Erby wrote.
“His ability to catch the football would help if Philadelphia wants a veteran who can support Shipley on passing downs. Medical evaluation and conditioning would determine how quickly he could contribute.”
Antonio Gibson’s NFL Career
As a rookie in 2020, Gibson rushed 170 times for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns. He showed a ton of promise early on.
By year two, Gibson cracked 1,000 yards and had seven touchdowns in 16 games with the Commanders. From that point on, the Commanders started utilizing him more in the passing game and on special teams.
Gibson didn’t turn out to be a feature back long-term, but he’s versatile and can bring value to other areas. Last season, Gibson played in just five games with the New England Patriots before suffering an ACL injury in early October.
During his only full season with the Patriots, the veteran rushed 120 times for 538 yards and one touchdown. He also caught 23 passes for 206 yards.
It’s unclear if the Eagles are going to consider outside options at this time, but the ex-Commander seems like a logical fit as long as his medical situation isn’t a major red flag.