Tank

Bigsby

Bigsby is tentatively on track to be available for backup duties in the Eagles’ Monday Night Football game against the Bears. Starting RB Saquon Barkley (stinger) continues to practice, so he should be good to go for his regular workload.

Earlier this week, Bigsby was a candidate to start in Week 3 against the Bears, with RB Saquon Barkley (stinger) set for an MRI. Barkley’s imaging went well, and he was back at practice in a limited capacity today. Bigsby remains a worthwhile bench stash, but he should no longer be viewed as a Week 3 contributor in fantasy lineups.

Journalists have videos of him working out on the side, so this doesn’t necessarily close the door on Bigsby playing on Monday Night, but it’s yet another Waiver Wire Week 3 rug pull possibility. With Saquon Barkley actually practicing, it’s possible Bigsby has zero standalone value this week against the Bears.

Bigsby was not targeted in the passing game despite Saquon Barkley being limited to five touches by a neck/stinger issue. Although Barkley technically “finished the game,” he said afterward he would undergo an MRI on Monday. That leaves Bigsby as a potentially monster add on the waiver wire, though it’s possible we won’t know Barkley’s official Week 3 status until later in the week. The Eagles have a soft Week 3 road matchup in the Bears’ defense. Hopefully we get an update on the situation Monday.

Bigsby, who will operate as the Eagles’ No. 2 back behind Saquon Barkley, had missed some practice time with the toe issue. He appears fully back well ahead of the team’s regular season opener against Washington. One of the most efficient rushers over the past two seasons with the Jaguars and Eagles, Bigsby should be drafted as a high-upside contingency option in case Barkley misses any time in 2026.

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.