For a brief moment in training camp, it looked like Tank Bigsby was going to be RB1 in 2025. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars stunned everyone when they traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles after beating the Carolina Panthers in the opener. The decision looked great at the time, and it looks much better after his latest performance on Thursday Night Football.
While Travis Etienne is having a banner season, Bigsby is struggling to find his footing in Philly. He's exclusively gotten snaps on special teams and will probably see his playing time decrease after a massive blunder against the New York Giants.
Ex-Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby is struggling to make an impact for the Eagles
Tank Bigsby has been handling return duties for the Eagles. Zach Berman of The Athletic reported that the third-year running back muffed a kick return and was subsequently phased out in favor of A.J. Dillon.
Philadelphia gave up a fifth and a sixth for Bigsby, so it surely wants to see a return on its investment. The issue is that their backfield is crowded, so the former Auburn Tiger is stuck behind Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon, and Will Shipley.
Five games into his stint in the City of Brotherly Love, Bigsby has had 10 returns and played a total of 47 snaps on special teams. He did handle return duty at times in Jacksonville, but that wasn't his main role. In two seasons, he had two combined returns.
Why the Jaguars aren't missing Tank Bigsby, the Eagles must have buyer's remorse
Keep in mind that this isn't the first time Tank Bigsby has struggled with the Eagles. Back in Week 3, he muffed two returns, so nobody batted an eye when he got benched. Nevertheless, it's still baffling to see him be a non-factor. After all, the Hogansville, Georgia native showed in 2024 that he could be a feature back when he tallied 168 carries for 766 yards with seven touchdowns. Heck, that was the reason it looked like he was going to have a featured role this year.
Then again, the new regime showed reservations, and once it saw that Bigsby wasn't a fit, he was sent packing to Philly. Meanwhile, the backfield trio of Travis Etienne, LeQuint Allen, and Bhayshul Tuten is thriving and is one of the reasons the Jaguars are 4-1.
Etienen's 443 yards rank fourth in the NFL, but Tuten has also seen ample playing time, toting the rock 25 times for 94 yards. Similarly, Allen has carved a role as a pass blocker and a receiver out of the backfield.
By now, the Eagles should have realized that they made a mistake when they traded for Tank Bigsby. But even if they haven't, the Jaguars must be thrilled that they gave up two draft picks for him.