Making Every Opportunity Count
Waiting In The Wings, Rookie Forces Fumble, Scores TD In NFC Title Win
PHILADELPHIA – The look on his face while walking off the field and through the corridor that leads to the home locker room at the Linc illustrated what many across the Delaware Valley had felt in the aftermath of the Eagles’ 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders.
It was the gaze of someone who’d just come to grips with the gravity of the moment, savoring the postgame celebration with loved ones, basking in every parcel of confetti that showered the conference champion Eagles.
But in the case of Will Shipley, the Eagles rookie running back who typically mires in anonymity, he was among the stragglers trotting off the field, into a raucous locker room.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles rookie RB Will Shipley (left) produced a forced fumble, rushing TD to get congrats from Saquon Barkley (26).
It was evident to the eye that this game meant something more, and symbolized something more.
Shipley typically doesn’t generate much fanfare, a byproduct of having a role that only the diehards would recognize unless he makes a miscue.
The Clemson product has bided his time this season, slotted third on a crowded depth chart highlighted by MVP candidate Saquon Barkley, who shouldered 345 regular-season carries.
But Shipley’s role has been relegated to special teams, an assignment in which he takes great pride and accountability. And his third phase duties isn’t just some cameo to Shipley, who became a core contributor, including his role as the personal protector on punt coverage.
In a game of that magnitude, the margin for error is typically razor-thin. And in this high-stakes game under the brightest of lights, it was the relatively anonymous rookie who delivered, personifying head coach Nick Sirianni’s mantra: “Everybody’s role is not the same, but everybody’s role is vitally important.”
Having prepared for the moment, Shipley wouldn’t have to wait long before making an impact.
On the heels of a 34-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal that gave the Commanders an early lead, Shipley kickstarted the afternoon with a 35-yard kickoff return, setting the table for the offense at the 40.
“Just [Special Teams] Coach [Michael] Clay doing a great job throughout the week of kind of what we’re looking for as returners,” a beaming Shipley said after the game. “We went in with the plan of doubling No. 39 and just kind of reading the fours right in front of us.
“So, I saw they were crossing my face, and being able to make the cut-back, get upfield, get vertical and start the game off the right way.”
Barkley, to the delight of an impassioned, sold-out crowd, then churned out a 60-yard jaunt for the game’s first touchdown.
Another example of winning outside the margins occurred just before halftime, with the Commanders down eight and back to accept the kickoff.
The shallow kick was fielded by Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols, who promptly trudged downhill before bring met by an audible collision, the well-placed hit dislodging the football.
The jarring hit, delivered by Shipley, resulted in a recovery by fellow running back Kenny Gainwell, who returned possession to the Eagles at the Washington 24.
The takeaway eventually culminated in a 4-yard touchdown connection from Jalen Hurts to wide receiver A.J. Brown.
“It’s special,” Shipley said. “It was a little bit of a weird play, because it was a missed play, it barely made it inside the 20. The guy that was supposed to be blocking me, he kind of froze. And I was like, ‘Let’s go, baby!’
“So, I got around him, and the off-returner, Luke McCaffrey, he came to block me, but I kind of shed him and then just got my nose in there – any way I could get him down. And I ended up getting a helmet or shoulder on the ball … I still don’t know what I did exactly. I know the ball got out, K.G. picked it up. So, it was a big play for our running back room, for sure.”
Shipley, who may only see 15-18 special teams snaps a game, has to make every opportunity count.
With the Eagles up big, and with Gainwell sidelined with a concussion, the backfield was turned over to him in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
In a way, his grittiness, selflessness and preparation that borders on obsessive would soon be rewarded.
On his second of four carries, Shipley accelerated off left tackle, dashing his way down to the Washington 7-yard line and completing a career-long 57-yard run, a play from which he later admitted to being gassed.
Moments later, on a 2nd-and-2, Shipley followed the block of left guard Tyler Steen and fell forward for his first NFL touchdown. The score also pushed the Eagles past the 50-point barrier.
To best illustrate Shipley’s charm, as well as the close-knit brotherhood of the Eagles’ running back room, Barkley reacted to the Shipley touchdown, buckling his chinstrap and charging onto the field to share the moment with his lockermate.
The moment between the two running backs also exemplified the leadership qualities of Barkley, as he greeted Shipley with a light-hearted headlock, like a proud older brother.
While Shipley always envisions success and making plays when his number is called, his role in the team’s dismantling of the Commanders reinforced Sirianni’s message about everybody’s role not being the same, but everyone’s being vitally important.
Like most young players and reserves on the Eagles, Shipley prepares each week as if he’s starting. So when his time comes, no switch needs to be flipped.
And although he had previously described what his touchdown celebration would look like in a past conversation, the gravity of the moment took over.
As he’s said in the past, he was being where his feet are, staying present in the moment.
“Everything I scripted went out the window,” he said. “Just celebrating with the guys is all I could ask for. Saquon came down and met me in the end zone. And I was sitting on the floor, looking at [left tackle] Jordan Mailata.
“Just so much appreciation for every one of my teammates, every one of my coaches. It was a surreal moment. But everything I planned went out the window, for sure.”
– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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