The Philadelphia Eagles are suddenly very thin at the running back position. Starter Saquon Barkley is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury, while top reserve Tank Bigsby was just placed on the injured reserve list due to a core muscle injury that requires surgery.
Given their lack of depth at the position currently, the Eagles have been urged to bolster the backfield, and a familiar face has been named as a potential target.
Eagles Named Potential Suitor for Buccaneers RB Kenny Gainwell
The Eagles were named as a potential suitor for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report. Gainwell previously played with the Eagles from 2021 to 2024, and he helped the team win its second Super Bowl in 2024. Gainwell has played sparingly in Tampa Bay, which leads one to believe that he could potentially be available in trade talks.
“The Buccaneers, who are sitting at 0-4 with an undrafted rookie at quarterback, could cash in on the run of injuries by moving backup Kenneth Gainwell, who signed a two-year, $14 million deal in the offseason to back up Bucs starter Bucky Irving. The Buccaneers would save just $2 million in 2026 cap space by trading the 27-year-old, but they could clear his 2027 $7 million cap hit from the books while getting a reasonable return,” Knox wrote.
“While Gainwell did score his first touchdown for Tampa in Week 4, he has still logged a mere 21 touches through four weeks. However, he racked up 187 touches, 1,023 scrimmage yards, and eight touchdowns with the Steelers last season. At this point in the season, Gainwell would boost the backfield depth of multiple teams.”
Gainwell is already familiar with the Eagles organization, head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts, so it makes sense why he was named as a potential target, as it likely wouldn’t take him long to get reacclimated to the City of Brotherly Love.
Eagles Elevating Running Back from Practice Squad
Outside of signing a guy like Gainwell, the Eagles are pretty short on other options when it comes to plugging the holes in the backfield. There aren’t too many productive backs available out there, and other guys would take a while to get acclimated to the playbook.
But, the Eagles aren’t just sitting on their hands. The team is already elevating running back Dameon Pierce from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Pierce spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs last season after beginning his career with the Houston Texans. It remains to be seen if they’ll make any other moves to address the backfield.
Philadelphia Eagles Named Potential Suitor for Familiar Face at Skill Position