Looking At The Battle For Eagles RB3: Can Will Shipley Hold Off Dameon Pierce?

Running back is essentially set in stone for the Philadelphia Eagles. Touches are hard to come by with Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby in the fold.

Barkley is in Philadelphia for at least one more season. Same with Bigsby. Those two are the bread and butter of the Eagles running game, with Barkley getting an overwhelming majority of the carries.

What about the RB3 spot? Who is the front runner to back up Barkley and Bigsby?

Will Shipley is the leader in the clubhouse entering minicamp, and should be. A fourth-round pick of the Eagles two years ago, Shipley is the pass-catching back amongst the running backs and the primary kick returner.

Shipley has been in the offense for two years and fills the depth chart, even if the touches are scarce. He only had 23 touches last season, but was the primary kick returner for the Eagles.

There still wasn't enough production for the Eagles to bring in competition for Shipley, which is one of the underrated position battles heading into the summer.

The competition

The Eagles brought in Dameon Pierce on a one-year deal to compete with Shipley for a roster spot. Philadelphia did keep four running backs last year, but A.J. Dillon was essentially a game day inactive every week. There wasn't any need for Dillon outside of being available.

Based on the roster projection this year, there isn't a reason to keep four running backs. The RB3 will go to Shipley, Pierce, or Carson Steele based on the current roster.

Pierce is intriguing since he had success with the Houston Texans. He had 939 rushing yards in his rookie season and averaged 4.3 yards per carry, but has been relegated for an RB2 role ever since.

A high ankle sprain in his rookie season and a quad injury last year have slowed Pierce down, as he played for both Houston and Kansas City in 2025. Pierce was seldom used on both teams, but gets a second chance in Philadelphia.

Pierce isn't going to get a lot of carries in the regular season, but the preseason is where he and Shipley can make their mark. Both will get a significant amount of touches in the three preseason gams, along with a long look in training camp with the Eagles preserving Barkley and Bigsby.

The kick return portion of this battle is important as well, as Pierce has averaged 32.8 yards per return with a touchdown in his career. If Pierce is a better kick returner than Shipley, he may have the edge towards the RB3 spot.

Shipley is the front runner for the job, but Pierce has a shot to make his mark.

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