Eagles training camp preview: What the backfield looks like behind Saquon Barkley

The Philadelphia Eagles report to the Jefferson Health Training Complex for the start of 2026 training camp on Tuesday, July 28, and their position previews begin where the team’s offense begins: at running back. In Philadelphia’s own camp preview, Saquon Barkley is presented as the clear centerpiece entering the summer, the type of runner who can change games with a single touch while the organization works to shape how his carries are distributed across the rest of the roster.

Barkley’s role is not theoretical. The team’s preview points to production that has remained steady at a high level, noting that since 2022 Barkley ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards per game, behind Derrick Henry. It also frames last season as a continuation of that impact: Barkley led the Eagles into another productive stretch, including the milestone of back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Philadelphia also ties his value to situational reliability, citing a Week 16 performance against Washington in which he recorded his fourth 100-plus rushing game against the Commanders since joining the Eagles.

Behind Barkley, the Eagles are relying on a mix of youth and fit. Will Shipley, a fourth-round pick in 2024, is a key part of the “supporting cast” picture in Philadelphia’s preview. The Eagles’ team notes emphasize that Shipley’s value has extended beyond rushing, highlighting his special-teams production in 2025. Philadelphia reported that Shipley returned 29 kickoffs for 777 yards during the regular season, and it points to the way his big moments translate by referencing his first NFL touchdown, which came against Washington on the Eagles’ way to the NFC Championship Game and the run that followed.

Tank Bigsby is the other name Philadelphia builds into the complementary-back conversation. The team preview describes Bigsby as a powerful, physical option who came to Philadelphia via trade with Jacksonville before Week 2 of last season. In a backfield where the question is rarely whether the Eagles have talent, but rather how they structure the workload, Bigsby represents the kind of downstream pairing that can keep the offense fresh without asking Barkley to carry every week of the season’s grind.

The depth chart story also includes veterans and camp evaluators. Eagles Wire, in its broader camp coverage, described the room as one without a controversy at the top, with Barkley positioned as the lead back and the bigger issue being how Philadelphia manages the workload behind him. It also lists additional names as part of the group to watch, including Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce, Elijah Mitchell, and Carson Steele, reflecting that the Eagles’ backfield competition may be more about roles and reps than about the top spot.

From a team-building standpoint, the most immediate thing to watch is how Philadelphia uses the backs during early practices and team periods as camp progresses. The Eagles’ own preview implies the club wants Barkley active and explosive, while also reducing the risk of overreliance by distributing touches among runners with different strengths, whether that is downhill power, receiving and return value, or veteran skill sets that can stabilize late-game situations.

By the time the preseason approaches, the central question becomes clearer: whether the Eagles settle on a consistent rotation behind Barkley or keep the backfield fluid as the coaching staff evaluates who can hold their assignment at speed and in contact-heavy portions of the offense. Training camp is where that becomes visible, and Philadelphia’s position-by-position approach suggests it expects the running back group to be a meaningful storyline even in a year where the franchise’s offensive identity is already anchored in Barkley.