It's been a rough four-week stretch for the Philadelphia Eagles. Aside from their four-game skid, the situation around Jalen Hurts landing on IR with a blood clot and how the team handled it has surrounded this organization.
While Hurts is out for the season, the rest of the team is focused on turning things around, and the positive update on running back Saquon Barkley will help. NFL Network and ESPN's Mike Garafolo reported that Barkley is slated to practice on Thursday and is poised to play on Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
With Tanner McKee under center, getting your star running back in the fold would be a massive lift for a run game that desperately needs it.
Saquon Barkley's update offers a timely boost for Philadelphia
Barkley hurt his hamstring on October 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, forcing him to miss Weeks 5 and 6. In his absence, the run game was nonexistent. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers, Philly combined for 57 total rushing yards.
Not only was Barkley inactive, but Tank Bigsby (abdomen) and Will Shipley (foot) were placed on IR, so things fell on Dameon Pierce. That wasn't good enough, and having Barkley in the mix will have a positive impact on Philadelphia.
Although the season didn't start too hot for Barkley, he still leads the team in rushing yards (182), with two games of 80-plus yards under his belt. When he was on the sideline, opposing defenses weren't worried about the ground game.
That put more pressure on the passing game, but that will change against the Cowboys. And there will be chances to hurt Dallas with the run.
Barkley's return could immediately play dividends for the Eagles
Dallas has had their struggles slowly down the run in 2026. Entering this game, the Cowboys rank 32nd in the NFL in run defense (149.8), tied for 28th in yards per carry (4.7), and tied for 29th in rushing touchdowns allowed (seven).
Teams have found a ton of success pounding the rock against the defensive front, and look for the Eagles to lean on that aspect themselves. McKee will benefit from Barkley's presence, which will open things up in the passing game, like play-action.
The Eagles are hungry and are looking to get back into the win column. The offense hasn't been able to get into a rhythm, and Barkley's absence was a factor in that. Not being able to run to the ball has a ripple effect on the entire operation.
Read more: Sean Mannion appears to be delusional about Eagles' offense through 6 games
It'll be interesting to see how much the Eagles put on Barkley's plate considering he's coming off a hamstring injury, but if he's active, fans should expect a heavy dose of No. 26. The pressure is on Nick Sirianni and his team to get a win, so this update on Barkley couldn't have come at a better time.
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