This isn’t necessarily an ‘elephant in the room’ by any means. It’s just an honest conversation. Please be patient if this sounds like drama. Heaven knows the Philadelphia Eagles don’t need any more of that this season.
Something has been nagging at us for a while, and if you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed it too. Kenneth Gainwell looks like one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most versatile and dynamic offensive weapons.
For one reason or another, we’ve watched a lot of Steelers football this season, and it has been hard to miss what a former Eagle is doing with real opportunity.
What stings is that some of you once insisted Gainwell couldn’t play. We never bought that. We believed he was more durable than advertised and only needed a chance to prove it. It’s hard not to wonder what he might look like right now in an Eagles offense that could use exactly what he’s providing elsewhere. Can you honestly tell us that some of you haven’t entertained the same idea?
Yes, we understand the salary cap. We know the Eagles were deep at the position. Yes, free agency means losing players, but while watching an offense struggle, watching former contributors thrive elsewhere hits differently.
Now we turn our attention to Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby. How can the Eagles justify wasting their talent?
The Eagles can’t make the same mistake with Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby that they made with Kenneth Gainwell.
The Eagles can’t afford to repeat the same mistake with Shipley and Bigsby that they made with Gainwell. His mismanagement should be a warning, not a footnote.
We’ve talked about Philadelphia’s decision to ignore Tank Bigsby for weeks. Shipley is a unique talent. He was a First-Team All-ACC nod and First-Team All-American during his final NCAA season with the Clemson Tigers in 2022
Philadelphia drafted him in on Day 3 (in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft), just as they once took Gainwell in the fifth. Similar body types. Similar play styles. Similar ‘potential steal’ logic. The parallels don’t end there.
In Gainwell’s second season, he broke a long touchdown run in a playoff game, garbage time, sure. Still, it offered a glimpse of what he could be. The major takeaway was that he might be someone who could provide quality snaps in a reserve role.
Last January, Shipley also broke one in a playoff game. We didn’t see the breakaway speed, but the youngster still managed to find paydirt anyway. Similar situations… Similar conclusions…
You see where this is going. Now, to be fair, context matters. Gainwell fumbled too often. The Eagles have frequently had stronger names ahead of both players on the depth chart. No one is ignoring any of that. Still, when an offense and its coordinator are accused of lacking creativity, especially as often as this one has, questions are almost sure to follow.
These are smart football people. There has to be a way to get explosive and get more versatile players involved, especially when the traits are obvious.
Gainwell is gone. He’s not walking back through that door, but his story should certainly serve as a warning. Philadelphia can’t afford to let Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby fade into the same background.
It’s not our job to sort out snap counts or game plans. We’re just pointing out what’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. This team hasn’t played well enough to justify losing or wasting talent.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles can’t repeat their Kenneth Gainwell mistake with Will Shipley
