Barkley plays nine snaps, scores in Eagles loss to Cowboys

Saquon Barkley returned to the Philadelphia Eagles lineup on Monday night, touching the ball on every one of his nine offensive snaps during a 38-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Barkley had been listed as questionable for the game after missing the previous two weeks with a hamstring injury. The Eagles monitored his status closely, and his playing time decreased further as the contest went on.

He finished the game with seven carries for 62 yards and a touchdown, along with two receptions for nine yards. Barkley noted that his hamstring felt "great" after the game. He did not expect a back problem to keep him out in the future, though he left the final decision to the training staff.

The injury concerns began early. Barkley tweaked his back on a 29-yard run in the first quarter. He said the pain got progressively worse from that point forward. His last snap of the game came in the third quarter.

Barkley is the first NFL starter in the past 20 seasons to play at least nine offensive snaps in a game and receive a touch on all of them. He spent time in the medical tent and stretched with trainers on the bench during the match.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the staff felt Barkley was ready to play. "He's tough as heck," Sirianni said. "He wanted to be out there for his teammates, probably had to slow him up."

The Eagles are dealing with a depleted running back room. Will Shipley, Tank Bigsby, and Carson Steele are on injured reserve. Dameon Pierce left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury. Elijah Mitchell, promoted from the practice squad, took over the remaining rushing duties.