As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for this weekend’s playoff rematch against the Los Angeles Rams, the team received excellent news on the injury front regarding second-year running back Will Shipley.
On Thursday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that the young running back, who has been dealing with an oblique injury, is practicing after missing Wednesday’s practice session.
Shipley missed last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs because of said injury, which led to AJ Dillon stepping into the RB2 role. The Eagles hope Shipley can practice on Friday, which could be a good sign for his availability for Sunday.
Eagles RB Will Shipley Returns to Practice on Thursday
As we previously mentioned, with Shipley sidelined, the Eagles turned to Dillon as the RB2. The veteran running back saw a slight increase in offensive snaps against Kansas City (10) from Week 1 (8), but only had 19 rushing yards on three carries.
The former Green Bay Packer is more of an in-between-the-tackles running back, while Shipley offers more versatility with his pass-catching skills out of the backfield and ability to play special teams.
That said, both running backs will play an integral part in the Eagles’ running game this season, as they spell Saquon Barkley during certain parts of the game. Shipley showed us glimpses as a rookie last season of what he could bring to the table.
Everyone remembers his electrifying run late in the NFC championship, where he exploded through the middle of the Commanders' defense. That type of speed and acceleration is an option to have behind Barkley.
In the regular season opener against the Cowboys, Shipley had 26 yards on three carries. He also had a 12-yard kick return. In last week’s win against the Chiefs, we saw John Metchie III handle kick return duties, averaging 23 yards per return (three attempts).
If Shipley is healthy to play on Sunday, it will be interesting to see if the Eagles put him on return duties, as the team recently traded for Tank Bigsby. Bigsby played last week against the Chiefs, but he only had four special teams snaps.
With one day of practice left, we should have a definite word on Shipley’s status and other players on the injured list, with final reports due on Friday.