The Philadelphia Eagles are heading into Monday night against the Chicago Bears with two of their most important offensive pieces cleared to play.
After a week of uncertainty around Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, both players were officially removed from the injury report, giving the 2-0 Eagles a much healthier look on offense as they prepare for a national-television matchup.
Barkley had been dealing with a stinger, while Smith was listed with a hamstring issue. Those designations fueled speculation about whether either star would be limited or held out.
Saturday’s reports from insiders Adam Schefter and Mike Garafolo settled the question.
Both are expected to be available without an injury designation. That is welcome news for an offense that has already opened the season with wins over the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans.
The picture is not entirely clean. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown is out with an ankle injury, tight end Dallas Goedert is out with a knee issue, and tackle Fred Johnson is also sidelined with a knee problem.
Linebacker Jonathan Greenard is questionable with a pectoral injury. Still, the return of Barkley and Smith is the headline the Eagles wanted. Those two sit near the top of the roster in both production and paycheck, and their combined contracts are worth about $116.2 million.
Barkley’s deal made history when he signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension before the 2025 season, becoming the first running back in NFL history to clear $20 million in average annual value.
Smith’s three-year, $75 million extension, signed before the 2024 season, remains one of the more interesting contracts on the roster. He is due $22 million in 2027 and $24 million in 2028, a structure that could look like a bargain if he continues to function as a true No. 1 receiver as he approaches 30.
Monday’s opponent, the Bears, sit at 1-1 after a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
For Philadelphia, the assignment is straightforward: keep rolling while the offense is as close to whole as it has been this week. Barkley’s presence in the backfield and Smith’s reliability on the outside give quarterback Jalen Hurts two proven outlets that Chicago will have to account for on every snap.
The Eagles have started the year looking like a team that can win in multiple ways.
Having their $116 million offensive duo available on Monday night is the kind of development that turns a promising start into something more durable.
Chicago will still present problems, especially if Philadelphia is missing Brown, Goedert, and Johnson. But the core of the attack is intact, and that is the news that matters most as Week 3 arrives.
