The Philadelphia Eagles were dealt a huge injury blow early on Sunday when Saquon Barkley limped back to the locker room with a hamstring injury in the first quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Barkley, who earns in the region of $20 million a year, is a vital cog in the Philly offense and his exit sparked significant concern in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field.
The injury occurred less than five minutes into the game as he sprinted for a first-down conversion and pulled up while running at full speed.
Replays appeared to show him getting a light touch on his hamstring from the defending player, before dropping to a knee on the sideline.
He was immediately taken to the blue tent and a few moments later, TV cameras showed him being walked back to the locker room by the Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro.
Shortly before halftime he was officially ruled out of the game, leaving the Eagles with an uphill battle in their Week 4 matchup against the Super Bowl favorite Rams.
Saquon Barkley limps to the locker room, and he was downgraded to out shortly after
Barkley pulled up and took a knee after sprinting to the sideline against the Los Angeles Rams
Barkley is no stranger to missing time through injury, having previously sat out 14 games of the 2020 season with an ACL tear and MCL sprain.
He missed three games in 2023 with an elbow and ankle sprain, and another three in 2024 with a high ankle sprain.
Last season he struggled with a groin strain, knee soreness and back tightness, but managed to play through without missing any significant time.
If Barkley is unable to return to the field, the Eagles’ run game will lean more heavily on Tank Bigsby.
