Barkley Backup: Philadelphia Eagles Add Tank Bigsby to Backfield in Deal with Jaguars

Bigsby led the Jags in rushing last season and will back up 2,000-yard rusher, Saquon Barkley, in Philadelphia’s backfield.

Tank Bigsby #4 of the Jacksonville Jaguars rushes past Isaac Yiadom #27 of the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter of the NFL Preseason 2025 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Aug. 17, 2025. Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Seemingly not content with having just Saquon Barkley, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year coming off a 2,000-yard season, the Philadelphia Eagles have added a Tank to their backfield. That comes courtesy of the team trading for Tank Bigsby in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for fifth and sixth-round draft picks in 2026.

Bigsby, whose birth name is Cartavious, played 14 snaps on Sunday in Jacksonville’s 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Bigsby had five carries for 12 yards in the game, as he played in a backup role to starter Travis Etienne. The latter had 143 rushing yards, which was the second-most of his career, as the Jags clearly feel comfortable with Etienne as their bell cow back going forward.

It was just a year ago that Bigsby led Jacksonville with 766 rushing yards and with seven rushing scores, despite starting just one game. He finished 30^th in the NFL in rushing yards and 19^th in rushing touchdowns, while his 4.6 rushing average ranked 12^th amongst players with at least 160 carries.

Bigsby had a pair of 100-yard rushing games, going for 101 yards on the ground in Week 5 versus the Indianapolis Colts, and then having 118 yards two weeks later versus the New England Patriots. He also had a pair of rushing touchdowns in each contest, as his production often correlated with the Jags winning. The Jaguars won both of Bigsby’s 100-yard games, which accounted for half of their four wins on the season.

The 2025 NFL season is Bigsby’s third in the league as he received minimal action during his 2023 rookie season. He played in all 17 games that year but had just 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns across 50 rushing attempts. For his career, Bigsby joins the Eagles with 910 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, plus eight receptions for 60 yards.

He also had a kick return on Sunday against Carolina and has seen spot duty in that role, with 11 kick returns over his career.

A third-round pick out of Auburn, Bigsby ranked in the top five in the SEC in rushing yards in all three of his seasons at the school. He was the co-SEC Newcomer of the Year in 2020 and finished his career with the Tigers ranking seventh in school history with 2,906 rushing yards.

Bigsby will, obviously, play in a backup role to Barkley, who had 60 rushing yards, 24 receiving yards, and one touchdown in the team’s Kickoff Game victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The trade says more about Barkley’s backups than it does about the running back himself, as the team has injury concerns with both of the incumbents in the Eagles’ running back room.

Will Shipley was listed second on the running back depth chart to Barkley and had a 20-yard run, as part of a 26-yard day, against the Cowboys. However, the second-year player suffered a rib injury in the game and sat for the entire second half. His status going forward is unclear, and he also served as Philly’s starting kick returner, so someone with Bigsby’s versatility is sorely needed.

Another player in Philadelphia’s backfield has an even lengthier injury history, and that’s AJ Dillon. He missed all of last season while with the Green Bay Packers due to a neck injury. Dillon did have three carries for 10 yards on Thursday against Dallas, which was his first regular season game action since December 2023.

The only other running back on the Eagles roster outside of Barkley, Shipley, and Dillon is fullback Ben VanSumeren. However, he was injured on the very first play of the game versus the Cowboys, tearing his patellar tendon in his knee. Thus, his 2025 NFL season ends after just one play as he was placed on injured reserve.

From Jacksonville’s standpoint, Bigsby was more of a luxury than a necessity, especially after Etienne’s stellar opener. The team drafted two running backs this spring, fourth round pick, Bhayshul Tuten, and seventh rounder, LeQuint Allen. Both saw action in Week 1, with each having exactly 11 scrimmage yards. Thus, the Jags were able to unload Bigsby and pick up a couple of future draft picks in return.

As for his famous nickname, Bigsby says he got it as a kid from his dad and aunt as he would constantly run into, and over, things in the house, but they never seemed to affect him. Thus, he resembled an impervious tank, and the nickname stuck. Bigsby said he transitioned from Cartavious to Tank in high school and has gone by the latter ever since.

This acquisition by the Eagles is the latest in a number of trades the team has made as it is doing everything it can to defend its Super Bowl title. Over the last three weeks, the team traded a fifth-round pick for QB Sam Howell, a sixth-round pick for WR John Metchie and a seventh-round pick for G Fred Johnson, with Johnson also formerly being with the Jaguars.