Dameon

Pierce

With Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Will Shipley all hurt, and Carson Steele getting injured early in this game, Pierce took every single carry for the Eagles on Sunday. He also played on 61 of the team’s 64 snaps. However, that wasn’t able to amount to much on the ground with all of Philadelphia’s injuries. Pierce was also asked to pass block a lot, which means he only ran a route on 15 of the team’s 52 dropbacks. That’s going to limit his fantasy value, and he looks like a TD-dependent FLEX play while he remains the starter. The upside is that there doesn’t seem to be anybody coming for his job until Barkley (hamstring) returns.

It was pretty clear that this was where things were headed when Barkley was unable to practice on Wednesday and Thursday. We do not yet know Barkley’s official Friday practice participation level, but he was not seen practicing during the portion of practice open to the media. Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele and practice squad player Jaydon Blue will likely split touches this week.

Barkley is firmly on the wrong side of questionable for his team’s Week 6 game against the Panthers, potentially leaving Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele and practice squad player Jaydon Blue to split touches. Hopefully, reports clarify whether Pierce would handle a sizable workload as the de facto starter.

Pierce “added” two catches for -2 yards. He took over as the Eagles’ lead back after Will Shipley went down with a foot injury in the first half. Carson Steele did not see the field for a single offensive snap. Pierce would presumably in line for a workhorse role in Week 6 if Shipley and Saquon Barkley are both out, but his efficiency today speaks for itself. This isn’t an offense capable of opening running lanes, nor is Pierce a back who can make a lot out of a little. Pierce is a low-priority waiver wire add for Week 6.

Shipley suffered the foot injury in the second quarter and was initially listed as questionable to return. He will now miss the remainder of the contest. Dameon Pierce is the only other running back on the roster with a touch today. Carson Steele is also active.

Shipley got stuffed on a carry in the second quarter and was checked out by trainers after the play. He went to the locker room after a brief trip to the blue medical tent. Dameon Pierce will be the next man up if Shipley’s day is over. Carson Steele is the only other back on the roster.

Barkley will likely be listed as a non-participant on today’s official injury report. He is unlikely to play in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Aside from Barkley, the Eagles have RBs Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce on the active roster. Shipley will probably lead the backfield in touches this week, but it could be a messy workload split.

Pierce will probably operate as the team’s No. 2 back behind Will Shipley this week against the Jaguars, one of the league’s best rush defenses. Tank Bigsby and Saquon Barkley are sidelined, leaving the Eagles scraping bottom for backfield depth. Look for Pierce to get some early-down work against the Jaguars. Shipley, who had six carries for 23 yards last week, is the only viable fantasy option of the two, though head coach Nick Sirianni heaped praise on Pierce Wednesday. “He’s an NFL starting running back,” Sirriani said of Pierce. “Maybe wouldn’t have said that when he was on our practice squad publicly, because of the fear of losing him. But he’s an NFL starting running back.”

Rapoport reports there are hopes that Bigsby will be back “in six weeks or shorter.” The 24-year-old back will be required to miss at least four games now that he’s headed for an IR stint. With Saquon Barkley (hamstring) also at risk of missing at least one game, third-string RB Will Shipley could be in line for a busy day in Week 5 against the Jaguars. Shipley rushed six times for 23 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Rams, but could be a sneaky option in PPR leagues given his pass-catching profile during his days at Clemson, when he caught 85 passes over three seasons. It also wouldn’t be surprising if Dameon Pierce or Jaydon Blue were promoted off the practice squad and saw early down touches while Shipley serves in more of a third-down role. There’s a lot to figure out here over the next few days.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Pierce was released by the Eagles on Sunday with the team keeping Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley to backup Saquon Barkley. Pierce will head to the practice squad and be the next running back up if an injury arises.