Eagles Investment In Saquon Barkley Pays Off: "We Got a Great Player On A Great Deal"

Not known for usually investing big money at the running back spot, the Eagles went all in on Saquon Barkley in the offseason and his debut with his new team was one for the ages.

Sep 6, 2024; Sao Paulo, BRA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) catches a touchdown against Green Bay Packers linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (58) and safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the second quarter at Neo Quimica Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first time Saquon Barkley touched the football as a member of the Eagles, he slipped on the terrible turf inside Corinthians Area in Sau Paolo, Brazil, and lost five yards. It wasn’t the kind of first touch Barkley and Eagles fans expected.

“I just didn't handle it the right way,” said Barkley. “I went out in warmups and decided to not go with studs because I felt comfortable enough. It's different than warming up and going full speed.

“After the first drive I put my studs in, got the first run. I was a little hesitant to get a feel for it. After that, I think it was pretty OK.”

Pretty OK is like saying the movie “Gladiator” is a pretty OK movie. Barkley was fantastic, along the lines of “The Godfather.”

Barkley averaged 3.58 yards after contact, per CBS’ Jeff Kerr. The Eagles were dead last in yards after contact last year at 2.36 with D’Andre Swift the lead back. Barkley also averaged 5.1 yards on first down.

After that slip that lost five yards, Barkley went nuts finishing with 109 yards on 24 carries, with a touchdown catch and two more rushing.

He became just the second player in Eagles history to score three touchdowns in his debut, joining Terrell Owens in 2004 against, ironically enough, the New York Giants, because it was the Giants who felt they needed to move on from Barkley and let him test free agency.

The Eagles don’t typically invest big-number contracts at the running back spot, but Barkley was too good not to do that, so they went all in, giving him a three-year deal with a base calue of $37.75 million with $26M guaranteed.

“Saquon’s a special player that we thought could have a unique impact on the offense and the team as a whole,” said assistant general manager Alec Halaby. “I think we got a great player on a fair deal where both sides feel good about it. That’s sort of how we look at it.”

Saquon Barkley talks with reporters following his first day of training camp with his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles. / By Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Asked if he thought his performance justified the contract the Eagles gave him, Barkley demurred.

“I don't look at it like that,” he said. “I look at it as an opportunity for me to play the game that I love. I put all the BS to the side. I can just go out there and be a little kid and play football. That's my main focus.”

Barkley knew right away he wanted to come to the Eagles for two reasons: Their offensive line and it was close to where he grew up in the Lehigh Valley, not far outside Philly.

“O-line played great,” he said. “That's a big reason why I wanted to come to Philly when I had the opportunity.”

His O-lines in six years with the Giants never rose above mediocre, though he did rush for at least 100 yards 18 times with New York. His last 100-yard game came on Oct. 29, 2023, but the Giants lost that one, 13-10, to the New York Jets.

He had only one game with the Giants where he scored three touchdowns, and that was in 74 games played. Barkley already has his first one in only one game with the Eagles and their offensive line.

“Made some huge plays in critical moments and scored a bunch of touchdowns,” said head coach Nick Sirianni. “Man, yeah, to have him on our football team means a lot, right? (General manager) Howie (Roseman) did a great job putting this team together, and he's a playmaker, he's a great leader, and great person.

"People feed off his energy, and so you could feel all that. Not on the plays he was making, but the energy and the positive energy he had out there.”

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