The Philadelphia Eagles have announced they’ve added running back Ian Wheeler to their practice squad on Thursday, a low-profile transaction that arrives at a moment when the team’s backfield has been thinned by injuries.
Wheeler, 25, has followed a circuitous path since leaving Howard University as an undrafted free agent after the 2024 draft.
He signed with the Chicago Bears, appeared on Hard Knocks, and showed flashes in the preseason before a knee injury ended his rookie campaign.
The Bears waived him with an injury settlement the following summer. He later spent a brief stretch on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad in late November 2025, then landed with the Louisville Kings of the UFL for the 2026 season.
In Louisville he found the opportunity that had largely eluded him at the NFL level. Wheeler appeared in nine games, carried 68 times for 371 yards and six touchdowns, and averaged better than five yards per attempt.
He also contributed on special teams. In the postseason he helped the Kings reach the United Bowl, where he earned MVP honors in a championship victory over the DC Defenders.
The performance earned him a training-camp contract with the Buffalo Bills in June, though he was among the final roster cuts at the end of August and has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
His arrival in Philadelphia comes as the Eagles navigate significant attrition at the position. Saquon Barkley has been dealing with a hamstring injury and has missed recent practices, while Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve and Will Shipley is sidelined by a foot issue.
That leaves Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele as the primary options on the active roster, with Wheeler joining Jaydon Blue on the practice squad as additional depth.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts is also expected to miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers because of a superficial blood clot, adding further uncertainty to the offense.
At Howard, Wheeler developed into a productive all-purpose back for the Bison, earning multiple All-MEAC honors and accumulating more than a thousand rushing yards across his college career.
He was accepted into Howard’s medical school but deferred enrollment to continue pursuing professional football.
At 5-foot-10 and roughly 205 pounds, he is not a power runner, but his production in the UFL and his history as a returner give the Eagles a versatile developmental option while they wait to see which of their injured backs can return.
Whether Wheeler remains on the practice squad or eventually gets elevated will depend on how quickly the Eagles’ depth chart stabilizes.
For now, the move simply adds a proven producer from the spring league to a backfield that has been forced to look well beyond its original plans.
