Confident Will Shipley ready to carve out bigger role with Eagles in Year 2

Confident Will Shipley ready to carve out bigger role with Eagles in Year 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Will Shipley didn't get to play a ton as a rookie.

That's the downside of being the third running back for a team where the starter has one of the best rushing seasons in NFL history and the backup is a dependable favorite of the head coach. There's just not a ton of extra reps or carries to go around.

But Shipley's first NFL season did give him a ton of confidence and he has brought it with him to his second NFL training camp.

I think I'm strides ahead of where I was in all parts of my game but especially confidence-wise," Shipley said on Tuesday. Just getting that experience, NFC Championship Game and playing in a Super Bowl. I got those experiences under my belt now. The confidence just bumps everything up a couple points for me."

If Shipley was lacking for confidence, he can just listen to Saquon Barkley talk him up. Earlier in this training camp, Barkley was asked if Shipley is ready to step into the role Kenny Gainwell (now with the Steelers) had last season and Barkley said Shipley definitely" can.

And then Barkley gave Shipley an even bigger compliment. Barkley said Shipley is probably the smartest running back in the room.

It kind of pisses me off how smart he is, to be honest," Barkley joked.

Shipley, 22, hadn't heard Barkley said that until Tuesday after practice.

Oh did he?" Shipley asked with a smile.

There are some high level conversations happening in the Eagles' running back room this summer between Barkley, Shipley and new addition A.J. Dillon, who is an NFL veteran himself.

Shipley on Tuesday was asked how his football knowledge shows up on the field.

I think just being able to understand pre-snap what's going on and also throughout a game," he said. You obviously watch film, you prep for a team, you kind of know it coming into a game knowing what they're going to do but as the game goes on, are you getting better from Quarter 1 to Quarter 2? From the first half to the second half as a player? And that's just picking up on little things.

That's something I take pride in and something I think I showed I can do very well at the college level and just trying to progress it to the league once I get my opportunity."

It's not easy to figure out exactly how the running back pecking order will look this season. Obviously, Barkley returns as the top back after his Offensive Player of the Year and 2,000-yard season. And as Shipley put it, Barkley is a first-down, second-down, third-down and fourth-down back. He can do it all.

Even with Barkley having 482 touches last season, Gainwell still had a role. So there will be some snaps and touches left for Dillon and Shipley in 2025. After missing all of the 2024 season with a neck injury, Dillon has had a strong training camp so far.

But Shipley could provide the Eagles with a change of pace.

While Dillon is listed at 247 pounds and Barkley is listed at 232, Shipley has a different body type. He weighs in at 209.

So we can kind of do different things," Shipley said. I can maybe get in and out of my cuts a little quicker but I'm not going to be able to run through someone like maybe A.J. would be able to. You gotta be ready for all of us. It's huge being able to take advantage of the things that God has gifted me with and being able to progress those and ultimately just make the most out of them."

As a rookie fourth-round pick from Clemson, Shipley played just 65 offensive snaps in the regular season and 10 in the postseason. In total, he had 34 rushes for 159 yards and another 4 catches for 35 yards.

Shipley's biggest NFL run came in the NFC Championship Game when he ripped off a 57-yarder in the fourth quarter. No one was happier than Barkley.

No matter what, Shipley is expected to be on the Eagles' 53-man roster in 2025 and will have a role on special teams. But there's a good chance he'll get more work on offense this year too. With his natural hands, Shipley could be a receiving threat out of the backfield.

Shipley's mindset in 2025?

Continue to grow," he said, and hopefully be ready whenever my opportunity comes, be able to prove that I can do it at any position and at any place, whether that's special teams, offense, third downs, whatever they ask. Just be able to fill that role."