Teammates impressed with Saquon Barkley’s Eagles debut — ‘He’s different’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

SAO PAULO — DeVonta Smith is a man of few words, so he found a concise way to explain what he saw with Saquon Barkley on Friday night in Brazil.

“He’s different, man,” Smith said, shaking his head. “He’s different.”

In the best possible way.

The Eagles still have a lot of work to do after beating the Green Bay Packers 34-29 at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo to open the season, but they can’t wait to welcome their new star player.

Because Barkley was an absolute star for the 47,000-plus fans in Brazil during the season opener.

“I know he’s a great player,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “He had a great game tonight. It’s exciting to watch him play. I’m glad he’s on our side. I’m just going to keep pushing. But what a debut for him.”

After spending the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles this offseason. A big part of the reason he wanted to come to Philadelphia was to play behind a good offensive line and in an offense with a bunch of stars.

But on Friday, Barkley was the star that shone brightest.

Barkley, 26, finished the game with 26 touches for 132 yards and three touchdowns. On the ground, he had 24 carries for 109 yards and two scores and also caught two passes for 23 yards, including an impressive 18-yard touchdown catch on a wheel route.

It was just the second three-touchdown game of Barkley’s career and the first since his rookie season. And he’s the first player to score three touchdowns in his Eagles debut since Terrell Owens 20 years ago.

“It’s unbelievable,” said rookie running back Will Shipley. “I’m just sitting here smiling because he’s so special. I’ve seen him do it in camp and OTAs and all that stuff, but to see him do it in person. He shined tonight. I was really happy for him. He works his ass off, so nobody deserves it more.”

One of the main reasons the Eagles were interested in Barkley was his ability to pick up yards after contact, and we saw that on Friday night.

Several of Barkley’s teammates agreed that those big, powerful runs add power to the offense.

“Oh yeah,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. “He’s 235 pounds and runs like a 4.3, so he’s a very talented individual. He just had one of those freak show catches early and he’s a very dynamic player.”

The 18-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was the first touchdown of the game, making it the first NFL touchdown ever scored in South America.

That seemed to bother Barkley during his post-game press conference.

“Yeah, I’m the first person to ever score in South America,” Barkley said. “That’s cool. I definitely have to try to play that game, hang it up or put it in my house.”

What made it even more fun was how difficult it was to catch.

Smith said Barkley sometimes teams up with the receivers to work on his hands and that paid off against the Packers.

“That was awesome,” Smith said. “Awesome on the sideline. It’s crazy because we always talk about the catch, the shoulder and everything. He did a great job.”

It wasn’t just the Eagles’ offensive linemen who were excited to see Barkley in action Friday night. The guys who practiced with him all summer were happy not to have to put him in a real game.

“I feel so bad for whoever has to tackle him,” safety Reed Blankenship said. “Because we had to tackle him when he was with the Giants. He’s a big guy, man, and he’s tough to take down. I’m glad we got him on our side of the ball.”

But over the last few seasons, Blankenship has had to compete against Barkley in NFC East games.

How on earth do you do that?

“It’s tough, man,” Blankenship said. “He’s one of the best backs in the league. He’s got everything. If you don’t get the right angle, he’ll make you miss. If you get the right angle, he’ll run you over. At the end of the day, sometimes it’s a lose-lose.”

But for the Eagles, it’s now a win-win situation.

And it helped them secure their first win of the 2024 season and undoubtedly made the 9.5-hour flight back to Philadelphia a lot more pleasant.

When Barkley first signed with the Eagles after six years with the division rival Giants, it was probably a little strange. That has clearly all gone away since then.

“No, not anymore,” Brandon Graham said, laughing. “It’s official now.”

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