Eagles' Saquon Barkley Cleared to Play vs. Commanders; DeVonta Smith Out
Barkley has no injury designation for Sunday night in Washington after returning to practice Friday, while Smith and Dontayvion Wicks miss another game
Saquon Barkley will play Sunday night. The Eagles gave their star running back no injury designation for the game against the Commanders in Washington, while receivers DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks were ruled out again.
Barkley, dealing with hamstring and back injuries, didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday after gutting through Monday night's loss to Dallas. He returned as a limited participant Friday, and that was enough to clear him.
The Eagles officially ruled out DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) for Sunday night's game against the Washington Commanders. Saquon Barkley (hamstring/back) has no game status and is available to play. He was limited in practice today.View on X →
Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia): The Eagles officially ruled out DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) for Sunday night's game against the Washington Commanders. Saquon Barkley (hamstring/back) has no game status and is available to play. He was limited in practice today.
"Definitely dealing with some stuff, but working through it," Barkley said, according to Zach Berman. He also explained why he keeps pushing: "One day I'm not gonna be playing football. Whenever that is, I don't want to look back and be like, 'I could have gave it a chance and I didn't.'"
The Eagles need whatever he can give them. Barkley has been limited to five games this season, with 43 carries for 244 yards and a touchdown, and he ran seven times for 62 yards and a score in the 38-21 loss to the Cowboys that dropped Philadelphia to 2-5. Elijah Mitchell and Jaydon Blue are behind him.
The receiver room is another matter. Smith (hamstring) will miss his second straight game and has played in only four this season, catching 26 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Wicks (ankle) is also out, so the Eagles will be shorthanded at receiver again, much as they were against Dallas. Linebacker Jihaad Campbell, cornerback Jonathan Jones and receiver Britain Covey are out as well, and cornerback Jakorian Bennett is questionable.
Washington comes in at 1-4-1. Philadelphia beat the Commanders 24-22 in Week 1, when Barkley ran for 83 yards. Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET.