Barkley missed Thursday too, and the Eagles' backfield is down to one name

Saquon Barkley was not at practice again Thursday, one more data point in what has become a genuinely alarming stretch for Philadelphia's backfield. He left Monday night's loss to Dallas with a hamstring issue — his second significant injury of the season — and the Eagles have not had him on the practice field since. His immediate availability is uncertain.

The situation around him is worse. Dameon Pierce went to injured reserve Wednesday, removing another option entirely. The depth chart at running back now lists Jaydon Blue as the top name, and he was just signed to the active roster. That is the room: one healthy back, newly promoted, behind a star whose hamstring keeps giving out.

I've been writing about this backfield for three days now, and each update has been a step down from the one before. Monday it was Barkley hurt again. Tuesday it was Pierce to IR. Wednesday it was Blue getting the call-up. Thursday it was Barkley still not practicing. The Eagles are 2-5 with five straight losses, Tanner McKee under center, and an offense that was already struggling to generate anything consistent. A functional running game was one of the few things that could have helped stabilize things. Right now they don't have one.