Saquon Barkley Explains Why He Returned Vs. Titans After Scary Neck Injury

Saquon Barkley explains why he returned vs. Titans after scary neck injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

If you were shocked to see Saquon Barkley return to the field Sunday after suffering a serious-looking neck injury in the first half of the Eagles-Titans game, you’re not alone.

“I know it made a lot of people upset,” Barkley said Friday at his locker. 

Barkley suffered a stinger – a nerve injury in his neck – on the first play of the game, which the Eagles went on to win 24-20. It’s not an injury players generally return from in the same game, but Barkley played 11 snaps in the second half and carried the ball three times for nine yards.

“I talked to (the trainers and doctors) and they allowed me,” he said. “I was honest with them. I said if I feel something again I’ll come out. I tried my best to go back out there. It didn’t go the way I thought it was going to go. But looking back on it, I wouldn’t change anything.

“We’re competitors. I waited and let it calm down. At first, I didn’t have my strength. I felt like I got my strength back. And they put me in position to allow me to go out there after I kind of begged for it. But I also told them at the same time that I’m gonna protect myself. If I feel something, you got my word. 

“I want to be out there and competing for my team. Sadly, it didn’t go the way I would like it. But, you know, got a chance to go back out there this week.”

Barkley underwent an MRI on Monday to see exactly what was going on in his neck. He said he’s had numerous previous stingers of varying degrees of seriousness and called this one of the worst he’s had.

“Nerve things are scary,” he said. “It’s not the first stinger I ever got. It won’t be the last. But some are worse than others. … “Some hurt a little more than others. I won’t go into detail about it, but some just hurt a little more than others. Sometimes you get it, you guys won’t even know.

“That was really the big thing with MRI, making sure I didn’t really do anything crazy and anything worse. I’ve had a history of it before, just the first bad one I had in a long time. It’s kind of like in football, your neck can get put in certain ways. But also like a wake-up call to me. I’ve been very super focused on like my lower body and my longevity in my career. Probably wasn’t as great as I needed to be with my neck stability and strengthening in my neck. 

“So it’s like just putting that within my routine and having that part of my process and kind the same way I attack everything from head to toe, do the same thing with my neck and go out there. 

“It’s good to have the MRI knowing that’s nothing, hopefully, God willing, about my career. And I can just go out there and play free and try to get, don’t want to say get this thing going because we’re 2-0, just keep it rolling. There’s obviously some things we want to improve on in the offense, especially in the run game. I’m ready for the opportunity to keep attacking that.”

The Eagles listed Barkley as limited at practice on Thursday, but he was a full participant on Friday and said he expects to play Monday night in the Eagles’ nationally televised prime-time game against the Bears at Soldier Field.

He said he’ll be wearing a collar but said it won’t limit how he can turn his head like the one he wore when he returned to the field for the second half against the Titans.

“When I first put it on, I really couldn’t turn my head,” he said. “I was trying to tell them that your head is like your steering wheel for me to run. So when I went out there, I actually tried to get into a running back stance, and I was like stuck. I had to try to change my stance. So my stance might look a little different.

“But the (equipment staff) did a really good job of coming up with something that is not only going to protect me but also allow me to play the way I want to play and play free.”

It has been an un-Saquon-esque start to the season. He did have a 42-yard run in the opener, but more than half of his carries so far – 10 of 19 – have gone for three yards or less. 

The 42-yarder is the only run by an Eagles running back this year over 10 yards.

“My strength is back,” Barkley said after practice Friday. “We’re calming the nerve down. And I’m blessed I get to play Monday night against the Chicago Bears. And I’m excited for that.”