The Backup Back

PHILADELPHIA — On a football field, Tank Bigsby knows only one speed.

Each rep is approached with the same eagerness and urgency as the next and his energy supply never seems to lag.

Seemingly everything Bigsby does is carried out at breakneck pace, heightening the potential of an explosive play on a given snap.

“I practice like I probably won’t practice tomorrow,” he said. “So, every opportunity I get, I try to finish for my teammates, finish for myself and finish for the Lord, really. He put me in this position, so I’ll be grateful and thankful for the opportunity to go down the field and run that extra 10, 15 yards for my brothers and get in shape.”

ITB Photo: Philadelphia Eagles RB Tank Bigsby is in his first training camp with the team.

Bigsby, who joined the Eagles last September, is four practices into his first training camp with the team. The 23-year-old, so far, has made his presence felt, showcasing his burst and home-run hitting ability.

The sample size last season was minimal, to be sure, but Bigsby stands to carve out a more defined role for the Eagles in his second season.

Sure, star running back Saquon Barkley has combined for 625 carries over the past two seasons, so maybe there isn’t much of a path for Bigsby to undertake expanded role.

Bigsby last season carried only 58 times, but averaged 5.9 yards per carry. As a changeup option, he often provided a noticeable jolt to the offense. His running style personifies desperation, running through, around — or over — whatever happens to be obstructing his path if it means not having to settle for a loss.

None of this is to suggest that Bigsby should eat into Barkley’s touches; a consistent role, however, could add a different dimension and potentially unlock another facet of the offense.

“I just come to work and do what I have to do every day,” he said. “Whatever I gotta do to help the team win, I’ll step up and do my role.”

In this offense, under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion, the running backs could be included in the passing game. For Bigsby, the receiving piece had mostly become an afterthought, but the fourth-year pro has been utilized enough out of the backfield early in camp to suggest that the it might be part of the offensive plans.

Though he caught only 62 passes in three seasons at Auburn and another 11 in the NFL, his lack of involvement in receiving game shouldn’t be viewed as a blemish; Bigsby wasn’t asked to do it all that much. He’s well-aware that catching passes is a critical function within his job description, and remains confident that he’ll deliver when the ball comes his way.

“I feel like that’s a piece of the game,” he said. “At running back, you gotta be able to catch the ball, and I feel like it’s also an opportunity thing. During my career at Auburn, we just ran the ball. And when I got with Doug Pederson in Jacksonville, just ran the ball. They used me as a running back; they didn’t use me on third-down as much. So, I feel like as opportunities come, we just take advantage of them and build off them and show what you’re capable of doing.”

The 2026 season also promises to be different for Bigsby because he’s now had the benefit of a full offseason with the Eagles. For every step of the building process, he’s been here with his teammates, laying the foundation for the season ahead and finding his footing after a whirlwind first year in Philadelphia.

He’s adapted seamlessly to the Eagles’ culture, and the structured and detailed nature of Nick Sirianni’s camp seems to suit him well.

“I feel like, honestly, Coach Nick does a good job how he runs camp,” he said. “It’s very different and more detailed, and a lot of discipline in his camp. I feel like he puts a lot on us to hold us accountable, so I feel like I love that. They’re not babying us; they’re making us hold ourselves accountable and grow with our teammates and hold them accountable. And they hold me accountable. So, I feel like that’s the big piece I love about the Eagles’ training camp is that it’s on you to get better. But it’s on the team to continue to grow.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is the Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.