Eagles Give Positive Injury Update on RB Saquon Barkley
The Philadelphia Eagles may have caught a break when it comes to running back and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley and a scary injury moment in a 38-20 win over the New York Giants in Week 8.
Barkley was taken out of the game with a groin injury in the second half, but not until he rushed for a season high 150 yards on 14 carries to go with 1 rushing touchdown and 1 receiving touchdown.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Barkley could have returned if the game would have been on the line.
“Eagles running back Saquon Barkley left Sunday’s game late in the third quarter with a groin injury,” Florio wrote on October 26. “He did not return. Per the team, he could have returned to the game, if needed. He wasn’t needed.”
If Barkley was going to get even mildly injured, now would be the time.
The Eagles have their bye in Week 9 and don’t return to action for 15 days, when they face another Super Bowl contender in the Green Bay Packers.
Barkley’s Early-Season Struggles in Spotlight
Barkley’s breakout game comes after 2 months of having his every carry picked apart by the media, and for good reason.
In 2024, in his first season with the Eagles, Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season and helped lead his team to a Super Bowl win.
Barkley, who became the highest paid running back in NFL history, had yet to have a 100 yard game through the first 7 weeks of the regular season.
“It’s a shocking regression,” Fox Sports color commentator and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen said during Philadelphia’s Week 7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in which Barkley had 18 carries for 44 yards. “It’s just continued today.”
Through 7 games, Barkley had 113 carries for 369 yards and 3 touchdowns. That put him on track to rush for approximately 896 yards in a 17-game season.
Barkley’s Focus Remains On Winning Games
Whatever the talking heads might say about Barkley’s stats, the message from the player himself throughout the season has been focused solely on one thing: Winning.
“People get caught up in how winning looks … it’s winning,” Barkley said after the win over the Vikings. “It’s our team beating their team. Whatever it looks like, that’s all that matters. To win the football game. That’s what matters.”
In stark contract to that approach, star wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith complained publicly in 2024 about not getting the ball enough during a 10-game winning streak.
Brown did the same thing this year as the Eagles reeled off 4 consecutive wins to open the season.
While Barkley’s game has been picked apart and Brown’s diva behavior has as well, much of the blame for any offensive struggles should land on first year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
Patullo was hired as offensive coordinator to take over for current New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore. The Eagles currently rank 23rd in the NFL in total offense.
“Plenty of finger-pointing will occur this week after another disappointing performance by the Eagles. Since the same issues continue to occur, Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator will receive the brunt of the vitriol,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote on October 10. “It’s deserved, though.”
Steelers Absolutely Can't Wait For Rookie To Take That Next Big Step Forward
The Pittsburgh Steelers are excited about many parts of their 2025 rookie class. Even though first-round pick Derrick Harmon is currently injured and will likely miss at least Week 1, there are still plenty of players coming in that can make the team better right now. Some of them will be heavily relied on, like running back Kaleb Johnson. For a run-first offense with an aging quarterback, they need all the production they can get from the running back position, including the rookie. He's not the only one that will be relied on a ton, however.
Rookie defensive tackle Yahya Black will see a lot of reps early on, especially with Harmon's injury. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin spoke with Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, and he detailed his expectations for his fifth-round pick in the future.
"We like Yahya's progress," Austin said. "He is not a little man. When he really learns how to use all the tools at his disposal, he’s going to be a load inside."
Black has quickly become a fan favorite during the preseason, and now he will get his chance to show off everything he has learned once Week 1 kicks off. He has shown plenty of upside so far, and many people believe that he could even be the steal of the 2025 NFL Draft. He has been nothing but impressive during his first ever training camp and preseason in Western Pennsylvania.
Of course, one great summer does not define who a player is. As Austin said, there is still a lot for Black to work on and master. With all the first-team reps he is about to likely take, it may not be too long until he learns how to use more of his tools. While it was not the original plan, it will be a baptism by fire for the former fifth-round pick. He may just be a Day 3 pick, but now is still a good time for him to learn as much as he possibly can.
Black was originally drafted to be a pure run-stuffer to stop the team from getting embarrassed like they did in the Wild Card Round in the 2024 season. His massive frame and great tape from his time with the defensive powerhouse known as the Iowa Hawkeyes made that a slam dunk pick and decision, especially that late in the draft where Pittsburgh thought he would already be gone by then.
During the preseason, he showed plenty of ability in the pass rush as well, as numerous analysts absolutely loved the tape that he put on. Clearly, there is some upside for him in that category, as he racked up a pair of sacks in the Preseason Week 3 game against the Carolina Panthers. If he can continue to build himself up in both the run game and the pass game, he will be yet another elite lineman drafted by the Steelers.
Steelers' Nose Tackle Could Lose Snaps To Black Soon
If Black continues to impress his coaches during the regular season, it will be hard for them to keep him off the field, even when Harmon returns from injury. That could lead to the rookie seeing some time as a zero-tech and kicking Keeanu Benton to the bench. Benton has had his own struggles with stagnation in 2024. If that keeps up, there will likely be two rookies on the field at the same time in base 3-4 defense.
Of course, Black still has yet to play in a meaningful game. All of this depends on if he can take his amazing July and August and translate that into production in the regular season. As Austin said, he still has a lot to learn, even with the great progress he has made. As long as he keeps it up, there is no reason to not believe he will be a Steeler for
