Will Shipley, Eagles RB Depth Chart After Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby Injury Updates

The Philadelphia Eagles are suddenly very thin at the running back position.

With Saquon Barkley dealing with a hamstring injury that could cost him time and Tank Bigsby reportedly heading to injured reserve with a core muscle injury that required surgery, the only healthy running back currently on the active roster is Will Shipley.

The Birds do have veteran running backs Jaydon Blue, Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele on the practice squad, and one—or several—of them could be elevated to the 53-man roster this week depending on Barkley's status.

Shipley, 24, will be the likely starter if Barkley can't go. In his three NFL seasons he's rushed for 182 yards and caught 17 passes for 155 yards, largely operating as a special-teams contributor.

Pierce, 26, is the most accomplished of the potential options after rushing for 939 yards and four touchdowns during his rookie season in 2022. He hasn't matched that level of production in the four seasons since, however, but would give the Eagles more of a bruiser to pair with the shiftier Shipley.

Steele, 23, only registered NFL stats during the 2024 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 183 yards while adding seven catches for 26 yards. He became something of a fan favorite in Philly during the preseason.

Finally, the 22-year-old Blue rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys last season as a rookie but was cut in late August despite the team's limited depth at the position.

The Eagles could also choose to seek external options—perhaps they could trade one of the four quarterbacks they've been keeping on the roster despite a litany of injuries at other positions—though with several options on the practice squad and the uncertainty on just how long Barkley will be out, promoting an internal option from the practice squad probably makes the most sense.