Eagles Rule Out Barkley and Smith for London Showdown With Jaguars
Philadelphia will be without Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith for Sunday's game against Jacksonville in London, leaving Jalen Hurts without two of his top weapons as the Eagles try to stop a two-game slide.
The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to London without their two biggest offensive stars. The team ruled out running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith with hamstring injuries on Friday, ahead of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Barkley injured his hamstring during Philadelphia's Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and has not practiced since. His absence pushes Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce into the backfield lead, with Tank Bigsby already on injured reserve. Smith will miss his second consecutive game, further thinning a receiving corps already missing Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, who was also ruled out.
The injury list grew longer still: starting center Drew Kendall is out with a knee injury, safety Marcus Epps remains sidelined with a groin problem, and outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is questionable with an ankle issue. Kendall's absence forces another shuffle along an offensive line still adjusting after Lane Johnson's retirement and the trade that sent Cam Jurgens to Baltimore.
Receivers Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, and Elijah Moore are in line for expanded roles as the 2-2 Eagles try to end a two-game losing streak across the Atlantic. The pressure falls squarely on quarterback Jalen Hurts and offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to keep the offense functional against Jacksonville's front.
Philadelphia can ill afford to slide to 2-3 with a short-handed roster.