Saquon Barkley Returns to Save the 2-5 Eagles, But DeVonta Smith Remains Sidelined

The Philadelphia Eagles are getting their backfield engine running just in time for a desperation Sunday night matchup, but their receiving corps is still stuck in the garage.

According to Tom Pelissero, running back Saquon Barkley is officially off the injury report and good to go against the Washington Commanders.

"Tom Pelissero reported Barkley is 'good to go' while Smith is 'out again.'"

The good vibes stop there. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith is out yet again with a lingering hamstring issue. If you were hoping for a fully operational Philadelphia offense this weekend, you will have to keep waiting.

Getting Barkley back is massive for a team that currently looks like it forgot how to play football. The Eagles are sitting at a miserable 2-5 after getting completely dismantled 38-21 by the Dallas Cowboys last week. At this point, their season is hanging on by a thread thinner than stadium toilet paper.

Barkley has been dealing with a combination of hamstring and back issues, which is exactly what you want to hear about a running back carrying the entire weight of a franchise. He leads the team with 244 rushing yards in this bizarre 2026 campaign, and they desperately need him to take the pressure off a passing game that just lost its best route runner for another week.

For anyone staring at their fantasy lineups or eyeing the prop markets, Barkley immediately slots back in as a high-volume workhorse. Without Smith on the field to stretch the defense, Washington is going to stack the box and dare Philadelphia to throw.

The only silver lining for the Eagles is that they are playing the Commanders. Washington is currently 1-4-1, meaning this Sunday night primetime clash is less of a heavyweight bout and more of a race to see who can avoid tripping over their own shoelaces.

Philadelphia has to win this game if they want to pretend they are still a serious football team. Barkley gives them a fighting chance, but if they cannot move the ball without Smith, it is going to be a very long, very ugly night in the NFC East.