The Philadelphia Eagles feel like the least convincing 2-0 team in the NFL right now. They opened their season by narrowly edging out the winless Washington Commanders, then they came from behind late in Week 2 to beat the Tennessee Titans, another team still searching for its first win of the season. That Titans game was arguably more concerning, not just because of the opponent, but because the Eagles lost star running back Saquon Barkley to a stinger.
Barkley got hit with the injury on the opening play but returned later in the second half, finishing with just nine rushing yards on four carries. He was scheduled to get an MRI this week to determine the severity of the injury, and apparently, the results were good. Barkley returned to Eagles practice Thursday, and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Barkley expects to play in Week 3, a primetime matchup against the Chicago Bears on "Monday Night Football." More news: Ja’Marr Chase Blasts NFL Over Punishment for Unusual TD Celebration More news: Joey Porter Jr Breaks Silence on Contract Standoff With Steelers Barkley has a long history with injuries, dealing with ankle sprains, knee sprains, groin sprains, and just about every other type of soft-tissue injury imaginable throughout his NFL career.
But he's been relatively durable over the last couple of years in Philadelphia, appearing in 16 games each of the past two seasons. Stingers generally won't cause players to miss much, if any, time, but given how much Barkley means to the offense, and with the team sitting undefeated, there was some concern the Eagles might take a more cautious approach with their All-Pro back. Turns out, that may not be the case, and all signs right now point to Barkley being a full go against a Bears defense that has given up a lot on the ground.
In Week 1, the Panthers backfield rushed for 125 yards on 22 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry, and in Week 2 against the Vikings, Aaron Jones went for 105 yards on 23 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Monday therefore presents a prime bounce-back opportunity for Barkley, who has yet to eclipse 100 rushing yards this season. More news: Sean McVay Reveals Troubling Update on Puka Nacua’s Injury
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