The last two weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles have been brutal. They’ve lost two games they should’ve won against tough opponents without DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Lane Johnson, and plenty of other important players on both sides of the ball.
Now sitting at 2-3, if the Eagles cannot figure things out soon, especially when it comes to the second-half offense, they could be looking at a forced fire sale by the trade deadline. However, they recently got some good news on two important players.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Barkley and Smith have a real chance of playing this upcoming week, and that, while neither is set in stone to play this upcoming weekend, there’s a chance the Eagles have their top playmakers back in Week 6.
Eagles get good news on Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith for Week 6
“Indications are one, if not both, DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley have a shot to return against the Panthers, though the Eagles have to see how the practice week goes,” Garafolo reports.
This is a huge update for the Eagles, and it comes after Nick Sirianni revealed there’s some hope that both Smith and Barkley could suit up in Week 6.
With the red-hot Carolina Panthers in store, the Eagles are going to need all of the offensive firepower they can get. If Barkley and Smith are out again, it might be a long day for the Eagles next Sunday.
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While there’s some optimism about the wide receiver depth chart with Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Darius Cooper, getting Smith back would be massive for this offense.
But the return of Barkley is arguably a lot more important. Tank Bigsby is on IR right now, and Will Shipley is likely to miss multiple weeks with a foot injury.
That leaves Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele as the only healthy RBs on the roster right now. Getting Barkley back would be massive for this Eagles team.
It appears there’s a chance that not only Barkley, but Smith is able to come back for the Eagles’ offense in Week 6 against the Panthers. This week of practice will reveal a lot, but as of Monday, there’s hope both could play this upcoming weekend.
