Despite being less than fully healthy, Barkley said it was important for him to be on the field for his teammates. He wanted to get back onto the field even after the back issue cropped up.
"It's kind of the school of thought I come from: I truly love this game, and I feel like if you're able to go, sometimes you've got to push your body to the limit," he said. "I'm trying, it's just not responding the way I want it to respond right now. It sucks because I'm trying to be the best leader I can be, and it's hard when you're not able to be out there and perform for your team."
With the Eagles sitting at 2-5 following Monday’s loss, Barkley could be a trade candidate. However, that’s not where the RB’s mind is at, still believing Philly can compete despite the slew of offensive injuries. After the loss, he spoke to his teammates, underscoring that there is still time to turn things around.
“I’m not really a big talker, to be honest,” Barkley said. “Felt like the moment was right. I just, how I look at life, I feel like you just never quit. You never give up. You just keep fighting, no matter what, whatever the situation is, how it looks. And I feel like that we have the men in the locker room to do it. We put ourselves in this situation. We’ve got to get ourselves out of it. I know that I’ve got to take more of a role of being vocal, using my voice. I’m more of a lead-by-example type of guy, but it happens when you have guys banged up.”
The question in Philadelphia on Tuesday is whether general manager Howie Roseman agrees, or starts selling off any movable assets before the [Nov. 10 trade deadline](https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-trade-deadline-10-needs-for-10-contenders).