Saquon Barkley Calls Stinger a ‘Wake-Up Call’ Ahead of Eagles’ Week 3 Clash

Saquon Barkley has been cleared to start against the Bears, days after suffering a stinger injury in Tennessee.

Saquon Barkley Calls Stinger a ‘Wake-Up Call’ Ahead of Eagles’ Week 3 Clash

Saquon Barkley (Image via IMAGO)

A stinger injury ruled Saquon Barkley out of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 2 fixture in Tennessee. A week later, the All-Pro running back is itching to hit the ground running as the Eagles travel to the Windy City to play the Chicago Bears.

Barkley returned to the Eagles’ practice field this week after undergoing an MRI on Monday. He had full practice on Friday. Afterwards, he spoke with the media about his condition.

Barkley revealed that he has suffered stinger injuries on several occasions during his football career. But the one against the Titans felt different. Fortunately for Barkley, it wasn’t serious enough to skip the trip to Chicago.

According to Tim McManus of ESPN, Barkley will wear a neck roll to avoid aggravating his injury further.

I’m rehabbing my [expletive] off, to get it as strong as it needs to be. I feel like I’m in a really good spot. I know they wouldn’t let me go out there if I wasn’t able to do it… I’m going to let the game come, and I’m going to go out there and play fearless, don’t worry about [it].

Saquon Barkley said

Barkley’s injury occurred on the first drive of the game. He was tackled for no gain by Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. He left the game and briefly returned in the second half. However, he played roughly 10 snaps. He had 4 carries for 9 yards. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley shared the workload.

On opening day against Washington, Saquon Barkley had 15 carries. He rushed for 83 yards (5.5 yards per carry). After two games, he has yet to score a touchdown.

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Saquon Barkley struggles against the Bears

Barkley is an elite running back. In his first season with the Eagles, he led the league in scrimmage yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He couldn’t match those numbers the year after, but he still put up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns.

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#26 Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (Image via IMAGO)

He posted strong numbers against Washington and looked primed to do the same in Week 2 until he got hurt. Up next, he has to have a stellar game against the Bears.

Historically, he has struggled against the current NFC North champions. Barkley has been on the losing end on four of the six occasions he has faced the Bears. Last year, the Eagles lost this fixture 24-15 with Barkley managing just 56 yards. Overall, he has had 110 carries for 516 yards and zero touchdowns.

The New York Giants drafted Barkley second overall in 2018. He played six seasons with the G-Men before entering free agency ahead of the 2024 season. The Eagles signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million deal. They won the Super Bowl.

In 2025, the Eagles sweetened Barkley’s deal. He signed a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension that includes $36 million guaranteed and up to $15 million more in incentives.

In 108 regular-season appearances, Barkley has racked up 1844 carries, 8,448 yards, 55 touchdowns, 360 receptions, 2,659 yards, and 16 touchdowns.

The Bears have dominated the Eagles over the years. They boast a 30-17-1 record against their NFC rivals. The Eagles last defeated the Bears in Chicago on December 18, 2022. They won 25-20.

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