The Philadelphia Eagles came out to a dominant start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, putting up 14 points before their opponents even had 50 offensive yards on the board. That trend continued for most of the night, as the reigning Super Bowl champions took a 31-20 lead into the fourth quarter.
However, even with a commanding lead, there was a worrying sign for Eagles fans across the country near the end of the period. After a particularly brutal tackle, their superstar running back, Saquon Barkley, could be seen limping on the field.
What Happened to Saquon Barkley?
Trying to extend the lead after two bombs from Baker Mayfield to bring the game within touching distance, Philadelphia tried to utilize last year’s Offensive Player of the Year. However, Barkley could not get much separation and was immediately tackled down.
While he came up limping, the league’s all-time leader in rushing yards in a season chose to remain in the game and tried another carry on the next snap. However, things weren’t fully okay for Barkley.
Saquon is on the sideline with his helmet off. Seemed like something was bothering him when he was tackled in the backfield earlier in the drive
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 28, 2025
As he went to the sideline, beat writer Eliot Shorr-Parks took to X to write, “Saquon is on the sideline with his helmet off. Seemed like something was bothering him when he was tackled in the backfield earlier in the drive.”
The Philadelphia fan base may have breathed an immediate sigh of relief in the fourth quarter. On the next possession for their team, Barkley was right back in the backfield. However, all wasn’t right for the superstar running back.
Going three straight plays through the air, the Eagles chose not to give Barkley any carries, perhaps in an effort to minimize any further contact against him. However, on the next drive, the star running back got two carries which shows that he isn’t seriously hurt.
Additionally, with Lane Johnson also coming out of the game with a shoulder injury and being designated as questionable to return, after Tyler Sheen also went out of the game, Philly may have chosen not to use their prolific rushing attack without a few of its key components on the field.
