Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley took his first touch of the NFC Championship Game 60 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring for his team. However, he was seen on the sideline working on his calf with a massage gun and climbing onto a standing bike to stay loose.
What is the latest injury situation for Barkley, and should Eagles fans be concerned that he could be limited for the remainder of the NFC Championship Game?
Latest Injury Update on Saquon Barkley
There has been no official word from the Eagles on any injury for Barkley, but it does not appear that the star running back is quite right. On the long touchdown run, Barkley did not appear to have any issue, continuing to run through the end zone in celebration. However, he has been used in a limited fashion since that point.
Saquon never stops. pic.twitter.com/HFryKB1pkj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 26, 2025
Since that run, Barkley only touched the ball twice more on the Eagles’ next two drives. He looked fine on a short-yardage run for his second touchdown of the game, but Kenneth Gainwell has been seeing far more usage than normal.
With 7:30 left in the second quarter, Gainwell already had five touches to Barkley’s three. In the regular season, Gainwell averaged just 5.4 touches per game and 2.5 through the first two games of the playoffs. Barkley continued to be in the game but tended to be involved more in blocking than getting the ball into his hands.
Barkley’s lack of usage emphasized how important he is to this offense. On his three touches, they averaged 20.5 yards. On the other 15 offensive plays, they averaged 5.8 yards per play. Most of that success had come through the air, with Hurts throwing more without Barkley getting the ball on the majority of plays.
After the Commanders scored to close within two points, Barkley returned to the game, carrying three times for 16 yards to take his total for the game to 77 yards with two minutes to play in the first half. Whatever the situation is with Barkley, it does not appear to be hampering him enough to stop him from being able to play when the Eagles need him.