Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles' starting running back, was ruled out of Sunday's Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams after injuring his right hamstring in the first quarter, according to CBS Sports and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
How the injury happened
The Inquirer reported that Barkley got hurt just over three minutes into the game. After a six-yard run near the Rams sideline, he went to the ground while favoring his right hamstring. He spent several minutes in the medical tent before walking to the locker room. He was initially listed as questionable to return before being downgraded to out.
CBS Sports confirmed the injury occurred on a run play in the first quarter and that Barkley did not return for the rest of the game.
What happened after he left
With Barkley sidelined, the Eagles turned to running backs Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley, per the Inquirer. CBS Sports noted that Bigsby, a 2023 third-round pick acquired from Jacksonville in September, had rushed for 36 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries through the season's first three games before taking over the lead role.
The Eagles led the Rams 13-3 when Barkley was ruled out, with roughly four minutes left before halftime, the Inquirer reported.
Other Eagles absences and recent injury history
Barkley's injury came in a game where Philadelphia was already missing several starters. The Inquirer reported that wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and right tackle Lane Johnson (personal reasons) were also out for the Rams game.
The Inquirer also noted that Barkley had left the Eagles' Week 2 game with a stinger and had worn extra neck padding in the two games since. The Week 4 hamstring injury is described by CBS Sports as coming during a difficult stretch for Philadelphia, days after a loss to the Chicago Bears.
Barkley's season and background
According to CBS Sports, the 29-year-old Barkley had rushed for 174 yards on a 5.1 yards-per-carry average through three games in 2026 but had not yet scored a rushing touchdown this season. In his first two seasons with the Eagles, he accumulated 3,145 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, including a 2,000-yard rushing season in 2024 that preceded Philadelphia's Super Bowl win, CBS Sports reported.
What is not yet known
Neither CBS Sports nor the Inquirer reported a severity grade for the hamstring injury, an expected return timeline, direct comment from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, or the final score of the Rams game at the time of their reporting.
Questions
- When did Saquon Barkley get injured?
- He was hurt in the first quarter of the Eagles' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 4, 2026, roughly three minutes into the contest, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- What is Saquon Barkley's injury?
- He suffered a right hamstring injury on a run play, according to CBS Sports and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He was initially listed as questionable to return before being ruled out.
- Who replaced Barkley in the Eagles backfield?
- Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley took over running back duties after Barkley left the game, per the Inquirer. Bigsby had 36 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries through the first three weeks, per CBS Sports.
- Did the Eagles win without Barkley?
- The Eagles led the Rams 13-3 when Barkley was ruled out, with about four minutes remaining before halftime, according to the Inquirer. The sources reviewed did not report the game's final score.
- Is there a timeline for Barkley's return?
- No return timeline or severity grade had been reported in the sources reviewed at the time of writing.
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