The Philadelphia Eagles have no shortage of talent, which is why they remain on the NFL’s short list of Super Bowl contenders despite an uninspiring start to the 2025 season.
On one hand, the Eagles have come up huge in key situations to dispatch the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams and Buccaneers. Their four September games looked like a gauntlet on paper, and prevailing with a 4-0 record against three 2024 playoff qualifiers — including a Super Bowl LIX rematch in Kansas City — can’t be dismissed.
It’s also undeniable that Philly hasn’t yet passed the eye test, at least not in comparison to last year’s championship team. Most concerning is a group of key veteran starters who surprisingly struggled though a rough first month of the season.
5 Philadelphia Eagles players performing below expectation entering Week 5
RB Saquon Barkley
NFL history hasn’t been kind to NFL running backs following a 2,000-yard rushing season, and so far, Barkley looks like the latest victim.
Barkley posted career highs in scrimmage yards (2,857), touchdowns (20) and yards per carry average (5.7) in 2024, including Philly’s four playoff games. He also had a career-high 482 total touches, and concerns over wear-and-tear have been justified over the first four games of 2025.
Barkley’s per-game touches have dropped slightly — from 24.1 last season to 22.75 so far this year — but his production has noticably suffered. He’s averaging just 3.1 yards per carry — a career low if you remove his lost 2020 season with the Giants due to ACL and meniscus injuries — and has yet to record an explosive play of more than 16 yards.
There are other factors at play here, including some clear growing pains with new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, and some unexpected struggles up front (especially along the interior). But Barkley’s arrival changed everything for Philly’s offense in 2024, and the lack of explosives so far is a legitimate cause for concern.
LG Landon Dickerson
No Eagles fan had this one on their bingo card entering 2025: Dickerson has gotten cooked for team highs in QB pressures allowed (13) and sacks (3) through four games, per Pro Football Focus.
Dickerson has been gutting it out through injuries to his meniscus — he had minor surgery to that right knee just 50 days ago — and back. He’s clearly operating at far less than 100 percent, and head coach Nick Sirianni might need to shut him down unless his performance improves soon.
S Reed Blankenship
The big question mark surrounding Philly’s safety group entering the season was which player would start alongside Blankenship — veteran Sydney Brown or rookie Andrew Mukuba?
What we didn’t expect was Blankenship to be the one struggling the most through four games.
Now in a contract year, Blankenship has already allowed two touchdowns in coverage and a career-high 121.8 passer rating when targeted, per PFF. It’s still early, but he hasn’t been the same difference-maker on the back end this year. His nine solo tackles ranks seventh on the team, tied with cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.
The Eagles need more from one of their top veteran leaders on defense.
DE Jalen Carter
Carter’s 2025 season got off to an inauspicious start in the season opener against Dallas, when he was ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott prior to the game’s first play.
Unfortunately for Carter, his response to that unfortunate ordeal since returning in Week 2 hasn’t been what fans would have hoped.
Through three games, Carter has managed just 11 QB pressures — a career-low pace — to go with zero sacks and four missed tackles, according to PFF. His snap percentage is also slightly down as he appears to be working his way to peak game shape.
It’s no secret that Carter becomes extension eligible at the conclusion of this season. He was expected to ball out in 2025 — and hopefully that begins in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
TE Grant Calcaterra
As mentioned, the Eagles are surprisingly struggling to move the football on the ground so far this season. They currently rank 29th in the NFL in yards per rush attempt at 3.5 a pop.
Sure, some of that is due to the tush-push — as well as punter Brandon Mann’s negative 34-yard carry into the end zone for a safety that helped drain the final seconds off the clock against Tampa Bay in Week 4. But the concerning part, again, is the lack of explosives; Will Shipley’s 20-yard carry in Week 1 remains Philly’s longest gain from a running back this season.
Calcaterra has never been known for his blocking prowess, but this year has been a new low. He’s PFF’s lowest-graded Eagles player on offense through four games, with a 31.8 run blocking grade; he hasn’t supplemented much in the passing game, either, with just two catches for 22 yards.
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Some of Calcaterra’s struggles have been scheme related, as he’s gotten beat on some unfavorable matchups against bigger defensive ends. Every Eagles tight end is currently playing on an expiring contract, though, and Calcaterra isn’t making a great case to stick around.