This Philadelphia Eagles season has really gone down the drain because of multiple injuries, including to their star quarterback, Jalen Hurts. How the Eagles handled Hurts could lead to the same mistake they might make with running back Saquon Barkley.
Hurts is out for the season because blood clots moved up from his calf to his lungs. He traveled to their London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with the blood clot, but it was superficial, so it was not considered serious at the time. Hurts ended up in the hospital the night before the game, still played in it, and traveled home right away, causing the blood clot to get worse to where it is now.
As for Barkley, it's been a season filled with injuries: the stinger in Week 2, the hamstring in Week 4, and then his back in the Eagles' Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. He finally practiced on Friday after missing the first two practices this week and has no injury designation for their Week 8 Sunday Night Football game against the Washington Commanders. While it is noble of Barkley to want to play, the Eagles might be making the same mistake they did with Hurts.
Eagles might not be making the right move with Saquon Barkley
Everyone knows now that Hurts should never have played in that Jaguars game, even if the blood clot was superficial. There shouldn't have been a scenario where he traveled to London and back within a few days either. No matter what the NFL and the Eagles say, they mishandled that situation most horrendously.
While Barkley's situation doesn't nearly reach the same level as Hurts', it still appears the Eagles are going to let him play. I understand that players play hurt all the time and need to play through the pain. It's what they signed up for, so it's understandable.
Watching Barkley on the field on Monday night was heroic to see him try to battle it out. But he only played 10 plays, and he was incredible, getting 71 yards on nine touches. Every play, though, he looked like he could barely play. He was literally leaving the field after every play.
There's being tough, and then there's being borderline not smart, to put it nicely. Barkley's toughness is unquestionable, but if he can't play consecutive plays, why are the Eagles putting him on the field?
What the Eagles should be doing with Saquon Barkley
At 2-5, the Eagles' season is pretty much on the edge of being over. They already don't have DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, or Jihaad Campbell for the Commanders game because of injuries. Barkley should be on that list as well.
The Eagles have to think about the players' long-term health, with the season pretty much out of reach. Barkley won't be 100% for the rest of the season because of the hamstring injury, but an extra week or two of rest would help.
This is where the team has to step in and stop him from playing. They saw what happened against the Cowboys, so they need to help the players be the voice of reason.
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Eagles fans need to hope Barkley isn't making a major mistake with his play. This could really ruin their 2026 season. If this goes wrong, it could ruin their future.
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