The Philadelphia Eagles’ ground game has struggled to live up to expectations this season, following a terrific 2024 season. The Eagles are averaging 110.5 yards per game (21st in the NFL), which is a far cry from where they were in 2024 (179.3, 2nd).
Superstar running back Saquon Barkley was the main catalyst for the Eagles’ success on the ground last year as he ran for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns, while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. However, he did not do it alone, as the Eagles’ offensive line played a sizable role in his success.
Fast forward several months, and Barkley has noticeably struggled (3.7 YPC), along with the Eagles’ offensive line, through 12 weeks. A lot of people thought that the Eagles’ running back room would be in good shape with Barkley, AJ Dillon, Will Shipley, and Tank Bigsby (acquired via trade in September).
But that has been the furthest thing from the truth, as the Eagles were reportedly trying to bring in former Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported on Monday that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made a strong push for Pierce, which included a personal phone call over the weekend. Wilson added that the Eagles previously made a trade inquiry to Houston for Pierce, but couldn’t get a deal worked out.
Eagles' Dameon Pierce Interest Highlights RB Room Concerns
As we know, Pierce ultimately signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and will be joining their practice squad.
The 25-year-old Pierce would’ve been an interesting addition to the Eagles’ RB room as he has the versatility to be used on offense and special teams. He also would’ve been an upgrade over AJ Dillon, who has been inactive recently.
The Eagles’ ground game was under the microscope in Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, as Barkley and Tank Bigsby only had 11 carries for 30 yards against one of the run defenses in the NFL. With the talent that Philadelphia has on the O-line and in the running back room, they should be gashing teams every week. But that hasn’t been the case at all. Following Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys, Barkley was brutally honest about his performance on the field.
“I’ve been kind of nonexistent this year. I’ve gotta figure it out for the team,” the star running back said (h/t SportsRadio 94WIP).
Now, all of the blame shouldn’t fall on Barkley’s shoulders. However, this rushing attack as a whole needs to be much better for this team to reach its goals, and any future success will likely hinge on his legs.
It’s clear that Roseman noticed that this group could use a jolt with Pierce, and he came up short in his pursuit. We’ll see if offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo can find a way to get the running game going on Black Friday against a Chicago Bears’ defense that allowed 186 rushing yards and two touchdowns to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12.