Going into the Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the Philadelphia Eagles are shorthanded in the backfield.
Saquon Barkley is going to miss his second straight game due to a hamstring injury. Tank Bigsby is on the injured reserve, and he was joined by Will Shipley this week.
Dealing with a practice squad backfield, a backup quarterback, and a young and developing offensive line, the Eagles’ offense might struggle once again this week. And if another loss is in the cards, they’ll move one step closer to questioning whether they should sell off some top veterans ahead of the deadline.
NFL Execs ‘Float’ Saquon Barkley Trade Thoughts For Eagles
The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones is sure that the Eagles will inevitably find their “big names” attracting trade calls in the coming weeks if more losses pile up.
According to the insider, NFL executives are already floating Saquon Barkley as a name the Eagles “would/could/should’ part with.
If the Eagles can’t compete for a title this season, Barkley seems like a logical candidate to move to an immediate contender as long as he’s healthy.
Saquon Barkley’s 2026 NFL Season
During training camp, Barkley continued to impress his peers and insiders reporting on the team. It seemed like he was poised for a big season.
But since Week 2, Barkley has been dealing with setbacks. Against the Tennessee Titans, he suffered a stinger. Barkley didn’t miss additional games after that, but he went out with a hamstring injury against the Los Angeles Rams.
That injury will keep him off the field for two games in a row. He hasn’t practiced once since the diagnosis and remains on a week-to-week timeline.
This year, Barkley has rushed 36 times for 182 yards. Before going down, he didn’t reach the end zone once.
The injuries are obviously a tough look. Barkley also didn’t look as explosive as his first year in an Eagles uniform, but the offensive line in Philadelphia hasn’t helped his case much. Still, the small sample size shouldn’t be overlooked. Barkley averaged 5.1 yards per carry, which is a 1.0-yard jump from last season’s 1,140-yard campaign.
The Eagles aren’t shopping Barkley yet, but it’s a scenario that NFL executives seem to be bracing for in mid-October.