Saquon Barkley maintains confidence that the Philadelphia Eagles will get back on track despite going through rut halfway through the 2026 NFL season.

Barkley has been playing in the NFL since 2018, going through his third season with the Eagles. When healthy, he shines as one of the best running backs in the league, helping Philadelphia win Super Bowl 59 in 2024.

However, injuries have impacted Philadelphia's trajectory this season. Jalen Hurts is out for the season with blood clots, while Barkley missed several games due to his hamstring injury. He returned to action in Week 7, but the team's situation has become way different that how they started the campaign.

Barkley talked about the team's struggles with media on Thursday, per reporter Olivia Reiner. He places focus on navigating the balance between wanting to be there for the team and getting back to being fully healthy with his best production possible.

“One day, I’m not going to be playing football. Whenever that is, and I’m going to look back, I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘I could have gave it a chance and I didn’t.’ That's kind of what I live by,” Barkley said.

“So try my best to just keep recovering, being smart, but I like playing football. If I have an opportunity to play, I’m going to try my best to play.”

Saquon Barkley on navigating the balance between wanting to be there for the team and getting back to 100%: "One day, I’m not going to be playing football. Whenever that is, and I’m going to look back, I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘I could have gave it a chance and I… pic.twitter.com/AgUN6FjxTI

— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) October 30, 2026

What lies ahead for Saquon Barkley, Eagles

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Saquon Barkley scored a touchdown in his return from injury. Knowing his impact on the field will be crucial moving forward, he will need to help the Eagles persevere through their situation.

Philadelphia has a 2-5 record this season, sitting at third place in the NFC East Division standings. They are above the Washington Commanders while trailing the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. In terms of the conference standings, they are 15th place. They lead over the Commanders while being under the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints.

The Eagles will continue preparations for their next matchup, being on the road. They take on the Commanders in Week 8 as kickoff commences on Nov. 1 at 8:20 p.m. ET.