Saquon Barkley’s stellar Eagles debut should put the NFL on notice

National Football League

Published Sep. 7, 2024 10:10 a.m. ET

Saquon Barkley has always insisted that he didn’t sign with the Philadelphia Eagles just because of the money. It was about the chance to finally play on a good team, behind a powerful offensive line. And it was about getting a chance to remind the world how good he really is.

That is exactly what Barkley did on Friday night during his stellar Eagles debut. He scored three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving. He ran for 109 yards on 24 carries and caught two passes for 23 yards. He showed off his speed, his open-field moves, and his incredible strength and power.

He was the main cog in the Eagles offense during their thrilling, 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paolo, Brazil. He showed he can still be a dominant player. He helped the Eagles show they’re still one of the NFL’s best teams.

And the best part about it is that it was only the beginning. As Barkley said, after his three-touchdown performance, “A hat trick is never a bad thing. But there’s so much more that I can do.”

“I want to be special,” Barkley added. “I want to be special in this offense. I want to be special for this team. I want to give Philly something they can be proud of. I think they’ll be happy with the start.”

Everyone should be thrilled with Barkley’s start, because he really did do a little of everything for the Eagles, and showed them so much of what they were missing during their 1-6 collapse late last season. He showed off his receiving skills by running a perfect route and making a leaping catch in traffic for an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Then in the second quarter he flashed his quickness and shiftiness, making a quick cut to the right on an 11-yard touchdown run.

Then in the third quarter, he brought out the power, starting with a 9-yard run in which he bullied his way to the Packers’ 2, setting up an equally powerful 2-yard touchdown run.

That’s all why the Eagles gave him that three-year, $37.75 million deal back in March — a blockbuster nowadays for a running back. They haven’t had a running back with that kind of power or versatility in years in Philadelphia. They had really good running backs the last two seasons with D’Andre Swift (1,049 rushing yards in 2023) and Miles Sanders (1,269 in 2022). But Barkley’s just different.

He makes their offense more complete.

“We’re so excited to have him,” said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni. “He made some huge, huge plays throughout this entire game. He made it in the pass game, he made plays in the run game. He made some huge plays in critical moments.

“Man, to have him on our football team means a lot. He’s a playmaker.”

He made enough plays to bail out an otherwise sloppy performance from the Eagles’ offense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball twice (losing it once). He had his share of big plays— like a 67-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown (5 catches, 119 yards), but it was Barkley that kept the offense moving consistently.

He can do that because he really is that talented — a rare running back who can carry a team in this pass-happy era. He won’t have to do that all the time in Philadelphia, not with players like Brown, Hurts and receiver DeVonta Smith (7-84) around him. But just his presence — just the threat of what he can do — clearly opened things up for everyone else.

That was really evident on the Eagles’ final drive of the game — a 16-play, 62-yard field goal march that took 7:25 off the clock and didn’t give the Packers the ball back until there were just 27 seconds left in the game. It was an old-school, soul-crushing, grind-it-out drive — the kind the Eagles seemed incapable of mounting late in games last season.

Barkley ran eight times on that drive, but only for 15 yards. But the defense was so keyed on stopping him that it opened things up for some big runs by quarterback Hurts and big passes to Smith that kept the drive alive and the Packers off the field.

If that element is added back into the Eagles offense this season, they really will be hard to stop. They didn’t have a power rushing game that could grind teams down and run the clock. Other than the “Tush Push” they really weren’t able to pick up tough yards consistently.

Barkley gives them that ability. And as he showed on Friday night, he gives them so much more.

“I know he’s a great player,” Hurts said. “He had a hell of a game tonight. I’m excited to watch him play. I’m happy he’s on our side. What a debut for him.”

It was quite a debut, indeed. Barkley became the first Eagles to score three touchdowns in a season opener since receiver Terrell Owens did it in 2004. That game was also Owens’ Eagles debut. And oh, by the way, he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance that season.

That’s the return the Eagles are hoping to get on their investment in Barkley too. They were convinced he was still the player that former Giants general manager Dave Gettleman famously said was “touched by the hand of God.” They believed he’d thrive outside of New York, in a better situation, surrounded by more talent.

Barkley knew he would, too. And on Friday night he finally got to show it. It looked like the perfect marriage. He needed the Eagles as much as they needed him. They clearly seem to be able to bring out the best in each other.

Although as far as Barkley is concerned, that best is yet to come.

“There’s so much I continue to play back in my mind that I could’ve been better on,” Barkley said. “I felt like I left a lot out there. But it was a great start.”

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.