The Philadelphia Eagles have been trending in the wrong direction after starting the year with a 2-0 record. Not only has the team lost three straight games, but it has also been battered by injuries across the board, with its offensive line falling apart in real time. Now, star quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for at least Week 6 after being diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his leg.
With Hurts out, that will put a brighter spotlight on both Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, as they will be tasked with helping keep the offense afloat for however long Hurts is out. The problem is that both Barkley and Smith are dealing with their own injuries, and based on the team’s initial practice report, it doesn’t seem like either guy is heading in the right direction when it comes to their availability for Week 6.
Eagles Get More Tough Injury News With Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith
Hurts had been the lone constant in what has been a revolving door on the offensive side of the ball for the Eagles, but now, he appears to be out indefinitely thanks to this blood clot scare. Tanner McKee will start in his absence, but he’s not exactly going to inspire much confidence for a unit that was struggling even when it was operating at full health to begin the year.
Barkley and Smith are the two guys who can help open things up for Philadelphia on offense, but neither guy is healthy right now. Barkley suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4 that forced him out of the game early, while Smith is dealing with his own hamstring issue, in addition to a toe injury.
Neither Barkley nor Smith played in Week 5, but there was hope that at least one of these guys would be able to play in Week 6. After both guys didn’t practice at all on Wednesday, it appeared that they were headed for DNPs again on Thursday based on what media members saw during their brief look at the team’s latest session.
Did not see Saquon Barkley during short time we were out at Eagles practice. Devonta Smith was warming up but did not have a helmet on when we were out there,” Tim McManus of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Eagles Could Be in Serious Trouble on Offense in Week 6
Philly’s offense hasn’t been great for some time now, but at the very least, Hurts’ presence ensured that the group would generally be competitive. That assurance doesn’t exist with McKee under center, and if he doesn’t have his top two playmakers in Barkley and Smith at his disposal, things could get ugly fast.
Barkley and Smith will have one more day to log at least a limited practice on Friday, and with the season quickly slipping away for the Eagles, there will likely be a sense of urgency when it comes to getting them back in action. For the time being, though, a brutal day has managed to get even worse in Philadelphia, and time is already running out for this team to salvage its season.
Eagles Get Rough Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith Injury Updates After Jalen Hurts News