Former New York Giants superstar shines in Philadelphia Eagles debut

Kevin Hickey

Former New York Giants superstar shines in Philadelphia Eagles debut image

John Mara probably lost a lot of sleep Friday night.

As the New York Giants prepare to host the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium for the regular-season opener, former superstar running back Saquon Barkley made his debut with the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

It went about as well as it could have for the 27-year-old running back, showing the vast differences in the offensive lines he's had to work with in his career.

Though Barkley's first carry was a five-yard loss after he slipped on the turf — a common theme from the night — he wasted no time reminding the Giants of what they let go.

Barkley led the way in the Eagles offense taking 24 carries for 109 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns while adding two receptions for 23 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Eagles won a thrilling back-and-forth battle over the Green Bay Packers, 34-29.

The Giants made the decision this offseason to let Barkley test the market. It became clear on "Hard Knocks" that general manager Joe Schoen isn't a believer in paying running backs approaching the position's age cliff.

That allowed the division-rival Eagles to put forth a nightmare scenario of forcing opposing defenses to stop the combination of Barkley and Jalen Hurts.

The Giants will look to move beyond the Barkley era with Devin Singletary leading the backfield, but it was surely interesting to see what the star running back could do with a competent offensive line.

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Kevin Hickey

Kevin Hickey Photo

Hickey was previously the managing editor of USA Today's Colts Wire. His work is also featured as a fantasy football analyst for The Huddle. A career .232 hitter, he is an avid reader of Spider-Man comics, an admirer of the James Webb Space Telescope, and a keen enthusiast of Ma’s sauce. You can find him on Twitter/X @KevinHickey11