Saquon Barkley back at practice, on track to play Sunday; Wideouts DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks to miss Week 8
Linebacker Jihaad Campbell, wide receiver Britain Covey and cornerback Jonathan Jones were also ruled out.
After practicing on Friday for the first time this week as a limited participant, Saquon Barkley (hamstring/back) is available to play against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.
Barkley, the 29-year-old running back, was removed from the final injury report on Friday. On Monday night, he made his return to game action in the Eagles’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys after missing the previous two contests with a hamstring injury. However, early in the game, his back locked up, which he said afterward was a result of overcompensating for his injured hamstring.
He finished with just nine touches on 10 snaps — seven carries for 62 yards and a touchdown, plus two receptions for nine yards. He did not practice on Thursday and was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday (the team held a walkthrough that day, so the injury report was an estimation).
» READ MORE: Despite trade rumors, Moro Ojomo open to re-signing with Eagles: ‘I love playing for this city’
Barkley acknowledged on Friday that he will have to continue to manage his injuries throughout the game, indicating that he may not be able to shoulder a full workload. Regardless, he said he wants to continue to provide a “spark” on offense through his playmaking ability and his leadership.
“One day, I’m not going to be playing football,” Barkley said. “Whenever that is, and I’m going to look back, I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘I could have given it a chance and I didn’t.’ It’s kind of what I live by. So try my best to just keep recovering, being smart, but I like playing football. If I have an opportunity to play, I’m going to try my best to play.”
While Barkley will be available to play on Sunday night, the Eagles will be without their top receivers in DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) for a second straight week.
Neither receiver participated in practice this week, as they were officially ruled out on Friday. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell (hamstring/quad), wide receiver Britain Covey (knee), and cornerback Jonathan Jones (hamstring) were also ruled out.
Even though outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt (knee/ankle) and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo (neck) were limited participants in practice all week, both players were removed from the injury report on Friday. Ojomo said his injuries over the last several weeks have been “annoying,” as he was on the injury report leading up to the Cowboys game with an abdominal ailment. Ahead of the Los Angeles Rams game in Week 4, he was dealing with calf and elbow injuries.
» READ MORE: Eagles vs. Commanders predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 8
“I feel like last couple weeks, I’ve been dealing with different crap, and I just want to like feel healthy and just go out there and practice with those boys, because practice is so important,” Ojomo said. “So that’s kind of been a pain, but the trainers have been great about that, and the coaches have been great about that.”
Nolan Smith Jr. is set to return after missing last week’s game with a concussion, which he sustained in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Eagles’ banged-up edge rusher corps is expected to be back to full strength this week, with Smith, Hunt, and Jonathan Greenard set to be active.
Defensive back Michael Carter II (abdomen) is also available to play for the first time since Week 5. He had taken over for Marcus Epps as a starter at safety for two games before going down. Kenny Moore II has been starting in his place.
Cornerback Jakorian Bennett (knee), who is on injured reserve, is listed as questionable. If he is not activated this weekend, the Eagles have until Nov. 4 to sign him to the 53-man roster or place him on season-ending injured reserve.
When Jalen Carter is at his game-wrecking best, he’s as unstoppable a force as there is in the NFL. Such was the case during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run two years ago. But since then, between injuries and uneven play, the defensive tackle’s contributions have been inconsistent. On the heels of general manager Howie Roseman signing Carter to a historic contract, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane looks at the costs of the extension — both in terms of dollars and cents, as well as roster construction. Plus, Jeff advances storylines for the Nov. 10th NFL trade deadline, and, in his weekly mailbag, addresses some reporting about the Eagles’ salary cap situation. Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
