Philadelphia Eagles Place Running Back Dameon Pierce on Injured Reserve Amid Backfield Depth Crisis

The Philadelphia Eagles announced a series of roster adjustments on Wednesday afternoon, highlighted by placing running back Dameon Pierce on injured reserve and signing running back Jaydon Blue to the active roster from the practice squad. In addition to these backfield moves, the organization added offensive guard Evan Beerntsen, wide receiver Quentin Skinner, and defensive back Shaun Wade to the practice squad.

Pierce sustained an injury during the fourth quarter of the team’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the physical setback, he led all Eagles running backs in touches on Monday night as Saquon Barkley was not healthy enough to handle his customary workload. The exact extent of Pierce’s injury remains unclear, but the designation requires him to miss a minimum of four games.

The transaction leaves the franchise severely depleted at the position. The team’s second-string option Tank Bigsby, third-string option Will Shipley, and fourth-string option Pierce are all currently assigned to injured reserve. Furthermore, Carson Steele, who served as the fifth option, was recently waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement, while Barkley continues to deal with lingering health concerns behind an offensive line that has struggled with run blocking for much of the season.

Timeline-wise, Bigsby is eligible to return to the active roster following Week 8, while Shipley’s eligibility begins in Week 9.

To address the immediate shortage, the Eagles promoted Blue, a former Dallas Cowboys draft pick. Blue was previously called up to the active roster on October 22 and dressed for the Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers without seeing the field, before being waived and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad. With Pierce sidelined and Barkley limited, Blue is positioned to see playing time against the Washington Commanders in Week 8.

Along the offensive line, rookie guard Evan Beerntsen joins the practice squad to bolster interior depth. The 26-year-old rookie previously played right guard at South Dakota State and Northwestern, accumulating 51 career starts across seven college seasons. Selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 253 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Beerntsen was cut in late August and subsequently spent time on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad before being released.

Pre-draft evaluations highlighted Beerntsen’s consistent run-blocking tape, angles, and stout point-of-attack play, though analysts noted concerns regarding his arm length, vulnerability to being outreached in pass protection, and consistency against defensive twists, which could necessitate a eventual shift to center.

At wide receiver, the Eagles added Quentin Skinner to the practice squad to provide reinforcements alongside a banged-up receiving corps that includes DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks, and Britain Covey. Skinner, who stands 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 195 pounds, played college football at Kansas and went unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the New York Jets’ practice squad, appearing in one active game where he logged 16 snaps, one target, and a 10-yard reception resulting in a first down. After being waived by the Jets earlier in the offseason, Skinner was claimed by the Buffalo Bills and subsequently released following training camp.

Rounding out Wednesday’s transactions, Shaun Wade returned to Philadelphia for another stint on the practice squad, providing additional depth at cornerback.