Eagles Haven't Forgotten About Kenny Gainwell

PHILADELPHIA - Kenny Gainwell has had an interesting rookie season.

The Eagles’ fifth-round pick out of Memphis, a pedigree damaged by his 2020 opt-out at the college level due to COVID-19, earned a spot in Nick Sirianni’s offense from Day 1 due to his natural receiving skills.

A strong summer turned into a final exam doubling as the joint training camp practices with the New York Jets in which Gainwell proved to the coaching staff that he was ready to handle third-down and hurry-up roles in a backfield that was expected to be by committee.

Early in the season, however, it was just Miles Sanders and Gainwell for the most part and the rookie was turning into a very promising player with the receiving trait Sirianni has always wanted and craved.

Las Vegas was the turning point of the Eagles’ season for a number of reasons.

That was the point SIrianni decided it was better to go run-heavy to better aid his first-year starting quarterback Jalen Hurts and it was also the game Sanders went down with an ankle injury that cost the RB1 three games.

In-game after Sanders was hurt, the Eagles went to a heavy diet of Gainwell and the young cousin of Fletcher Cox put the football on the ground in a key situation.

Opportunity was there for Jordan Howard and Boston Scott and the veterans kicked the door down over the three games Sanders missed. Gainwell’s role, meanwhile, steadily decreased and when Sanders was ready to return against New Orleans, Gainwell was the odd man out in the backfield, inactive for the first time as a pro.

“I take every day, day by day," he said on Thursday when asked about his setback. "It’s a building thing. “You have to build every day. When you’re not playing, learn from what’s going on, what’s going on the field when you’re not on the field, still continue to learn. What you have to do. What’s the play? You have to be locked in on each and every play because next week might be the same play, so you have to learn what you did then.

“So, you take that and build on it. I just continue to learn.”

As fate would have it Howard suffered a knee sprain against the Saints and missed consecutive games at MetLife Stadium vs. the Giants and Jets, quickly getting Gainwell back in the mix.

By Week 15 Sirianni decided all four of his running backs deserved to be active and the attempt was being made to increase Gainwell’s versatility so he’s always there on game days, something revealed by Devonta Smith.

“He's in the receiver room sometimes with us,” Smith said. “He's doing receiving drills with us so he just wanna do whatever he can do to get on the field out there catching passes or with hand-offs."

To date, Gainwell has rushed for 209 yards on 55 carries with four touchdowns and has added 29 receptions for 244 yards and another TD while becoming the primary kick returner.

"Ithink I’ve done great, just being a rookie who can come in and do multiple things, in the slot, out wide, in the backfield running routes," said Gainwell. "I feel like I put in a lot of work to come out with a great season as a rookie."

Now the injuries have cropped up again in the backfield.

Sanders has been ruled out of the Week 17 matchup at Washington with a broken hand and Howard is very iffy with a stinger, meaning Scott and Gainwell might have to carry the load the Eagles try to get back into the playoffs after a year’s absence.

Another storyline is Gainwell potentially dueling with his old college roommate Antonio Gibson, the WFT’s top RB, although Gibson missed practice Thursday with a hip injury.

“He used to be my roommate in college, my freshman year, so we have a real, real close bond,” Gainwell said of Gibson. “But he’s the enemy this week. We’re going out there full force.”

Howard was working in practice Thursday in a limited fashion with larger shoulder pads than normal to better protect him and working behind Scott and Gainwell in individual drills but ahead of practice-squad players Jason Huntley and Kerryon Johnson.

Gainwell, meanwhile, did dual work, running routes with the receivers early and then joining the RBs.

“I continue to play my role and do my thing,” Gainwell said. “I’m a guy who stays motivated throughout anything. I just take it day by day and have a positive spirit about everything. I just come to work, do my job and continue to work.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.