The Philadelphia Eagles rushed 18 times for 22 yards on Sunday in London. That is 1.2 yards per carry, their worst rushing output in more than 11 years. On Monday they found out the back who started that game is hurt too.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Will Shipley suffered a partial tear of his plantar fascia, an injury that “could sideline him multiple weeks.”
How It Happened
Shipley, 24, went down in the first half of Philadelphia’s 19-17 loss to Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Cam Little won that game for the Jaguars with a 57-yard field goal as time expired.
It was Shipley’s second career start. He finished with five carries for six yards, a seven-yard reception, and his first career regular-season rushing touchdown. For the season he has 20 carries for 57 yards, one score and 31 receiving yards.
A fourth-round pick in 2024, Shipley was never supposed to be carrying this load. He is carrying it because everyone in front of him got hurt.
The Depth Chart Is a Problem
Saquon Barkley strained his right hamstring early in the Week 4 loss to the Rams and missed Week 5. He was not placed on injured reserve and is considered week-to-week. His season line is 36 carries for 182 yards with no touchdowns and eight receiving yards.
Nick Sirianni said Monday he is “hopeful” Barkley is cleared to play Sunday against Carolina, and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported a Week 6 return is possible.
Tank Bigsby is not coming back soon. He injured a core muscle in that same Rams game, had surgery and is on injured reserve for at least three more games.
That leaves Dameon Pierce, who took 11 carries for 14 yards after Shipley exited, and Carson Steele, who has played special teams only this season. Pierce was a 2022 fourth-round pick in Houston who ran for 939 yards as a rookie before being waived midway through 2025, and Philadelphia promoted him off the practice squad last week. Jaydon Blue, a 2025 fifth-rounder waived by Dallas, is on the practice squad and has not played in 2026.
This Is Bigger Than One Position
The Eagles are 2-3, on a three-game losing streak, third in the NFC East with a minus-20 point differential. They rank 30th in the NFL in yards per play and have the league’s highest three-and-out rate.
A running game that produced 1.2 yards a carry in London is not purely a personnel issue. Philadelphia put up those numbers with a back who had started one previous NFL game, behind a line that has been reshuffled, in an offense that cannot stay on the field.
Getting Barkley back fixes the most of it. The question is whether a hamstring that cost him one game is actually ready after two weeks, and whether an offense this far out of rhythm gets better simply by changing who takes the handoff.
What Is Not Known
Philadelphia has not announced a specific timeline for Shipley, has not said whether he goes to injured reserve, and had not signed or elevated another back as of Tuesday.
Carolina comes to Philadelphia on Sunday.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.