The Eagles, like so many other teams in today’s NFL, were unwilling to give their running backs lucrative long-term deals.

When Miles Sanders threw for a career-high 1,269 yards and made the Pro Bowl two seasons ago, the Eagles said goodbye and let him go as a free agent. It didn’t matter that he had been the featured back for a team that went to the Super Bowl.

When D’Andre Swift came over from Detroit last season and had his first 1,000-yard season and Pro Bowl appearance, the Eagles let him walk out the door, too. He quickly signed with the Bears.

Saquon Barkley? That’s different because he’s different.

BUY EAGLES TICKETS: STUBHUBS, LIVELY SEATS, TICKETMASTER

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman decided Barkley was the running back worth paying for, saying you make exceptions to the rules when you can get someone special.

It’s too early to say whether Barkley was worth the three-year, $37.5 million deal he signed this offseason, but on opening night of the 2024 season, the former Giants superstar was sensational for the Eagles in South America.

He was the difference maker in the Eagles’ 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, finishing with 109 yards rushing and 23 receiving, giving him a total of 132 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches.

Three times the Eagles fell behind on opening night and all three times Barkley brought them back with just the second three-touchdown game of his career. It was his first since his rookie year with the Giants and, if you recall, the running back said during spring practice that he feels like a rookie again.

If the Eagles get a repeat performance from rookie Saquon Barkley, prepare for quite a show.

Barkley also saved the Eagles in the final period. When a tush push at the goal line went awry, resulting in a fumble, Barkley was there to cover the ball, allowing Jake Elliott to kick a field goal that gave the Eagles a five-point lead.

“I always visualize success,” Barkley said during his post-game televised interview. “I try to get positive thoughts in my head. That’s one of my goals for this year. That’s to be expected, so hopefully I can keep that up the rest of the year.”

Barkley showed he can produce through the air with his first career touchdown with the Eagles that came on a pass. He showed he can produce on the ground with his next two. He showed he can run with power and speed.

The Eagles couldn’t wait to have Barkley play alongside them.

“He’s a guy we’ve never had before,” offensive tackle Lane Johnson said earlier this week. “I know he’s excited and he’s a great teammate.”

Dallas Goedert agreed with that opinion.

“I’m probably most excited about having Saquon,” the tight end said. “He’s obviously been a really good running back in the league for a long time and we’ve seen him twice a year for years, so to be able to play with him and see how the defense reacts to a guy of that caliber, I’m really excited about it.”

Barkley’s career with the Eagles began with a slip and a loss of five yards on a pitch.

And Jalen Hurts’ redemptive season started with an interception.

Cam Jurgens’ first start in relief of Jason Kelce included an early snap that led to the Eagles’ second turnover in the offense’s six plays.

The game looked like a disaster early on, but the Eagles defense, multiple Packers mistakes and a slippery field kept the game close.

The Packers, despite getting the ball in the red zone twice on their second and third possessions, managed to score just six points on two field goals. They also lost a touchdown due to being outnumbered. The Eagles were also outnumbered on the same play, but offsetting flags still nullified the score.

And then, in a flash, the Eagles’ offense went strong and the defense went soft.

The good news for the Eagles throughout the game, however, was that the investment in Barkley during the offseason paid off fantastically.

The only time we saw the two-time Pro Bowl running back play against competitors this summer was when Barkley ran a wheel route down the right sideline during a joint practice with the Patriots and scored a touchdown.

With the Eagles trailing by six early in the second quarter, new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore switched the play to the left side. Barkley, who had made an 11-yard run two plays earlier, was covered by inside linebacker Isaiah McDuffie, who couldn’t keep up with the running back. Open in the right corner of the end zone, Barkley scored the first touchdown of his Eagles career.

He didn’t have to wait long for his second attempt, although he had to convince the Eagles again.

The Packers covered 70 yards on five running plays to open the lead 12-7, with Jayden Reed scoring on a jet sweep from 33 yards out after Zack Baun missed a tackle.

The Eagles responded with a nine-play, 70-yard drive that Barkley completed with an 11-yard run. Hurts had kept the drive alive with a third-and-eight pass to AJ Brown for 20 yards and a Brotherly Shove first down on a third-and-one play, proving the Eagles can still run that play without Kelce.

Once again, the Packers responded quickly with Jordan Love connecting with Reed for a 70-yard touchdown pass on a third-and-10 play. It appeared as if safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson blew the play in coverage and with just 16 seconds left, the Eagles’ lead was gone.

However, the offense continued to move the ball until the end of the first half, covering 57 yards in 15 plays before settling for an Elliott field goal to end the half.

Hurts and his teammates quickly erased a 19-17 halftime lead when the quarterback connected for a 67-yard touchdown with AJ Brown on the second play of the second half.

With that, the Eagles led 24-19 with 38 seconds to go, but that lead was gone 144 seconds later when the Packers scored on a two-yard pass from Love to Watson, caused by a pass interference call by Avonte Maddox on a third-and-nine play, allowing the Eagles to come off the field.

It was clear at that point that this was going to be a wild match and it was clear all night that Saquon Barkley was more than ready for it.

Thank you for relying on us to deliver the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Bob Brookover can be reached at [email protected]