Tank Bigsby (toe) returns to practice

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL coaches and front office officials about the league’s best running backs. Barkley ranked third behind Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. “My only criticism is that he doesn’t always produce when things aren’t completely clean,” an NFL coordinator said of Barkley, adding that Barkley should be treated as a three-down back. “That’s dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him.” This could explain why Barkley had a disappointing 2025 campaign in an Eagles offense that struggled to move the ball for much of the season. Barkley, who is widely expected to have a bigger role in the Philadelphia passing offense in 2026, last season ranked 45th out of 60 qualifying backs in yards after contact per rush, alongside Woody Marks and Breece Hall. Tank Bigsby, Barkley’s backfield mate, led the NFL in yards after contact per attempt.

Mosher notes that Bigsby’s one-cut running style is a great fit for new OC Sean Mannion’s scheme, saying “there’s no question he excels at planting one foot in the ground to getting downhill quickly.” He believes Mannion would be “smart” to get Bigsby involved in short-yardage situations to give starting RB Saquon Barkley’s body some rest. We see the logic here, although adding another short-yardage ball carrier to the rotation could muddy up fantasy projections a tad. Regardless, Bigsby is looking like a high-end bench stash this season.

Mannion is expected to lean on run game coordinator and tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey in installing a zone-blocking scheme reminiscent of the one used by the Shanahans and their acolytes over the decades. Eagles head coach Nick Sirriani said he expects Saquon Barkley — coming off a down 2025 season — to be “exceptional” in the team’s new rushing scheme. “He’s been highly productive in many of the schemes,” Sirianni said of Barkley, who had 28 rushes of more than ten yards in 2025 after having 46 such runs in 2024. The Eagles in 2025 used zone rushing concepts on 45 percent of their carries, the 13th lowest rate in the NFL. They were efficient with zone rushes, logging a 50 percent success rate, the tenth highest in the league.

Bigsby was not targeted in the passing game. Surprisingly acquired from the Jags following Week 1, Bigsby ended up easily surpassing Will Shipley as the Eagles’ No. 2 back, but it amounted to only 61 offensive touches. Bigsby did feature on special teams, but neither he nor Shipley made much of an impression behind Saquon Barkley. The Eagles’ No. 1 back isn’t going anywhere for 2026, but they might think about an upgrade in the No. 2 spot. Bigsby, who turns 24 in August, is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.

Bigsby got a chance to take over the backfield with Saquon Barkley resting in Week 18. He got 16-of-17 running back carries on the day, showing explosiveness on several touches. His singular reception came on a dump-off from Tanner McKee where Bigsby made a shifty cut and showed burst to take it 31 yards. His second touchdown of the season came on a two-yard rushing score in the third quarter. Bigsby was acquired by the Eagles mid-season and though he does not get a high volume of snaps regularly, he has shown to be a valuable backup to Barkley heading into the playoffs.

McLane’s report comes on the heels of a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo Tuesday essentially saying the same thing. The Eagles could earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a win and a Bears loss to the Lions, but it appears they’ll try to move up with Tanner McKee under center rather than Hurts. For fantasy managers still playing for something in Week 18, McKee and Tank Bigsby would be the top waiver wire priorities.

The Eagles could climb as high as the No. 2 seed in the NFC with a victory and a Lions win over Chicago, and Garafolo believes they could beat Washington with some of their key starters resting for the postseason. That could include Jalen Hurts, which would mean Tanner McKee could see significant playing time against a Commanders defense being bludgeoned by opposing QBs. If Saquon Barkley sits, Tank Bigsby — who has been ultra efficient as an Eagle — could see a full workload against the Swiss cheese Washington run defense. It’s a situation to monitor for fantasy managers playing in Week 18 championships.

Bigsby didn’t receive a touch until late in the fourth, but he made the most of them; taking a pitch 22 yards for a touchdown. The 2023 third-round pick will remain the backup tailback to Saquon Barkley for the foreseeable future, including Week 17 against the Bills.

Barkley popped up with a new listing on the injury report, getting a DNP designation due to a stinger. It is unclear yet how serious the injury is, as stingers indicate some kind of head/shoulder nerve pain. He starts out the week with a DNP and practice reports later in the week will tell how serious the issue is. Should Barkley miss Week 16 against the Commanders, Tank Bigsby would be next man up. Bigsby was limited on Tuesday with an illness, but is still tracking to play on Saturday.

Bigsby was phased out of the usually pass-heavy Eagles offense on a pass-heavy day for Jalen Hurts. Bigsby, who’s been efficient with limited chances since joining the Eagles in October, is a good bench stash for now in case Saquon Barkley misses time down the stretch of the regular season.