In Week 9, Saquon Barkley was on the field for 57 of the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive snaps.
Is that a lot? Yes, yes, it is; Barkley was on the field for 73 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps, with his primary backup, Kenneth Gainwell, playing 28 percent of the game with 22 snaps and Will Shipley bringing up the rear with one. On the year, Barkley has played 75 percent of the Eagles' offensive snaps, 406, which, over a full season, would be his fifth-highest mark over his seven-year career, which isn't ideal, considering the Eagles don't plan on finishing the season at the end of Week 18 like the Giants often did during his tenure.
Are the Eagles playing Barkley too much? Well, Nick Sirianni was asked that question on Wednesday and let it be known that he is aware of how much the pride of PSU was used in Week 9 and how he plans to approach the situation moving forward.
“You try to take care of them and do what you need to do to win each and every football game. You try to take care of them throughout the week. I think the two games – obviously not last game, but the game before that and the game before that – we were able to get him out in the fourth quarter,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So you try to monitor it as much as you possibly can. And that’s really our jobs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and being aware of it on Sunday.
“But, yeah, always considering that with each and every one of our players with load management. I think our strength and conditioning staff and our trainers and our doctors give me really good insight on how to do that. And give our staff really good insight on how to do that. Yeah, always on our mind with how many touches he has.”
In Week 9, Barkley has more snaps than Clemson product Will Shipley has had all season. While it's understandable that the Eagles are taking things slow on getting him on the field, as Barkley is seemingly a threat to hit the house every time he touches the ball, it might be a good call for Sirianni to give him a few more nods in the regular season. Why? Because Barkley was signed to be a 21-game player, not a regular season snap eater.
Saquon Barkley isn't the only Eagles player playing too many snaps
While the Eagles have been using Barkley a bit more than some fans expected, considering his age and the number of miles on his tires already, he isn't the only member of the team who is playing more snaps than he maybe should. Asked about Josh Sweat, who was on the field for 53 snaps against the Jaguars in Week 9, Sirianni again noted that it all depends on the flow of the game.
“Sure. That’s the flow of the game. Last game was 53 snaps. I think last year we had a game with 90-something against Buffalo. Yeah, that plays into it. You’re thinking about that with everybody, but not every position has rotations. Offensive line doesn’t rotate. Defensive line does. Running backs do,” Sirianni told reporters.
“But the flows of the game, the way the game is being played, that can dictate a lot of different things. So every season is not apples to apples. I know it’s the same amount of games, but every game is a little bit different in how they are playing out. We’re also aware of that, and that’s good for our guys. And I think that is good that our depth has that that we’re able to do those things at defensive end.”
To say Sweat is playing a few too many snaps in 2024 is an understatement, as he's been on the field nearly two out of every three Eagles defensive snaps and has played nearly twice as many as Nolan Smith, the second-year former first-rounder who has put some really good film on tape. Factor in the addition of Bryce Huff in free agency and Jaylex Hunt in the draft, and there's no reason Sweat should be on the field for more than 70 percent of the snaps or for Brandon Graham to rank second among edge rushers.
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