Saquon Barkley runs 62 yards on nine snaps in Eagles loss

Saquon Barkley ran for 62 yards on just nine carries during the Philadelphia Eagles' 38-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. He also caught two passes for 9 yards and scored a touchdown in his return to the field after missing the previous two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Barkley was listed as questionable for the game. The Eagles limited his workload, and his carries decreased as his back locked up during the contest. He played a total of nine offensive snaps. On every one of those snaps, he touched the ball. This makes him the first NFL starter in the past 20 seasons to play at least nine offensive snaps in a game and record a touch on all of them.

Nick Sirianni, the Eagles head coach, said the medical staff and the player felt ready to play. Sirianni noted that the team wanted to keep a close eye on Barkley because of his toughness. The coach said Barkley wanted to be out there for his teammates and would likely have played every snap if not managed by the staff.

Barkley managed the injuries throughout the game. He spent time in the medical tent and stretched with trainers on the bench at one point. After his 8-yard touchdown run on the first offensive possession, he quickly went to an exercise bike on the sideline. He said he tweaked his back on a 29-yard run in the first quarter and that the issue got worse from there. His last snap of the game came in the third quarter.

Barkley said he does not believe the back issue will keep him out going forward, though he deferred to the training staff. He described his approach as pushing his body to the limit because he loves the game. He acknowledged that it is hard to be a leader when the body is not responding as desired.

The Eagles have suffered multiple injuries at running back. Will Shipley is on injured reserve with a foot injury. Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve with an abdomen injury. Carson Steele is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Dameon Pierce exited in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury. Elijah Mitchell, who was brought up from the practice squad for the game, left the running duties to him.

The Eagles play their next game on Sunday.