Will Shipley's Foot Injury Leaves the Eagles With Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele Against Carolina

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley injured his foot in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Shipley was already the last healthy back from Philadelphia's original depth chart: Saquon Barkley sat out with a hamstring injury and Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve after core muscle surgery. That left Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele, both of whom began the week on the practice squad, to carry the backfield.

The Eagles host the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Unless Barkley returns, fantasy managers are looking at one of the league's most productive rushing offenses run by two backs who were not on the active roster a week ago.

What happened in London

Shipley started and scored his first career touchdown before leaving with the foot injury; he finished with five carries for six yards. Reports differ on whether he exited late in the first quarter or in the second. He was ruled out shortly afterward, and fan reaction on social media turned immediately to the broader state of the Eagles' running back room.

From there, Pierce took over primary duties with Steele as the backup, according to game recaps. Jacksonville won on a 57-yard Cam Little field goal on the final play, after Trevor Lawrence threw for 331 yards and tight end Brenton Strange caught seven of eight targets for 68 yards.

The Eagles also lost linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to an ejection on the opening kickoff, and edge Jalyx Hunt and defensive back Michael Carter II were ruled out during the game. DeVonta Smith was already inactive.

The Eagles backfield, by the numbers

Philadelphia's running back depth chart has collapsed in less than two weeks.

Pierce's best season remains his rookie year in Houston, when he ran for 939 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. His production dropped sharply after that. Steele, an undrafted back from UCLA, played all 17 games for the Chiefs as a rookie in 2024 and had 56 carries for 183 yards; he is regarded as a short-yardage runner with more burst than his size suggests.

The Barkley question

Everything here depends on Barkley's hamstring. He was listed as week to week after the injury, and the Eagles did not push him to play in London. If Barkley returns against Carolina, he reclaims the bulk of the work immediately and Pierce becomes a change-of-pace back at most.

If Barkley sits again, Pierce becomes the most interesting waiver add in the league for one week, because the Eagles' offensive line and system have historically made any competent back productive. That said, Philadelphia's line is not what it was: Lane Johnson retired and Cam Jurgens was traded to Baltimore before the London game. The Eagles' run-blocking advantage is smaller than it was a year ago.

Fantasy fallout

Dameon Pierce is a speculative add in all formats. If Barkley and Shipley are both out, he projects as the lead runner against Carolina. He is a volume-based flex, not a reliable RB2, given the uncertainty and a rebuilt line.

Carson Steele is a deep-league handcuff. His short-yardage profile could give him goal-line looks, which is the one path to fantasy points.

Saquon Barkley managers wait. Do not start him until he practices in full; a hamstring that kept him out of a game in London is not one to gamble on.

Jalen Hurts may take on more of the rushing load near the goal line with a depleted backfield. That raises his touchdown equity even if the passing game is limited without Smith.

The Eagles' pass catchers are hard to trust while Smith is sidelined. With A.J. Brown traded to New England in June and Dontayvion Wicks nursing a hamstring injury, Hurts has been working with a patchwork receiver group. A thin backfield does not automatically mean more passing volume when the receivers are also short-handed; it more often means a lower-scoring, run-heavy game plan built around Hurts' legs.

The Verdexed angle

Panthers at Eagles is a game where Philadelphia's offensive availability decides the line. A healthy Barkley and a Pierce-led backfield are two very different offenses, and the market will move with Wednesday's practice report. For the model's view, see the NFL predictions page and the Week 6 picks when they publish.

What to do in your league

1. Add Dameon Pierce as a speculative bye-week fill, but do not overspend on a waiver bid. 2. Hold Barkley and watch Wednesday's practice report. 3. Stash Steele only in deep leagues. 4. Keep starting Hurts; his rushing floor is the most stable part of this offense. 5. Plan for a Sunday morning decision on Barkley if he is listed as questionable; have a backup plan ready.

The Eagles have gone from one of the league's deepest backfields to one of its thinnest in a matter of days. For one week at least, the fantasy value lives with whoever is healthy on Sunday.