Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was not seen during the open portion of Wednesday’s practice, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith worked on a side field instead of joining the main session, both still managing hamstring injuries ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers.
Jeff McLane reported that Barkley was among the players with no sign on the main field, while Smith used the JUGS machine on another field before going indoors. Dave Zangaro added that neither player participated with the group as Week 6 prep began.
Where the offense stands
Barkley missed the London loss to Jacksonville after playing only four snaps against the Los Angeles Rams when the hamstring first flared. Smith has now missed two straight games with his own hamstring issue. Nick Sirianni said Monday he was hopeful both could return against Carolina, but Wednesday’s first look was cautious.
The backfield is already thin. Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve after core muscle surgery, and Will Shipley is expected to miss multiple weeks with a partial plantar fascia tear. Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele are the healthy backs on the active roster for now.
Who else was out — and who returned
Also missing from the open session: center Drew Kendall (knee), outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt (ankle/knee), Shipley (foot), and defensive back Michael Carter II (abdomen).
Positive notes: Jonathan Greenard (ankle), Marcus Epps (groin), and Hollywood Brown (ankle) were back on the field. The club also opened practice windows for Landon Dickerson, Eli Stowers, Grant Calcaterra, and Jakorian Bennett, all of whom were present.
Carolina visits Lincoln Financial Field at 1:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, October 18. Thursday’s practice report will be the next clear checkpoint for Barkley and Smith.
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