Eagles' Saquon Barkley proving very early he was worth the massive price tag

The Philadelphia Eagles surprised everyone when they invested big money into a running back during NFL free agency, signing Saquon Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million dea l

However, in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season, Barkley has already proven that he was worth every penny.

The 26-year-old running back finished the Eagles' 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil rushing the ball 24 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling two passes for 23 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown.

Following the victory, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni expressed a lot excitement over his new running back.

"We are so excited to have him. He made some huge, huge plays throughout this entire game," head coach Nick Sirianni said of Barkley after the game. "He made it in the pass game. He made plays in the run game. He made some huge plays in critical moments and scored a bunch of touchdowns. To have him on our football team means a lot. Howie [Roseman] did a great job of putting this team together.

"He's a playmaker and he's a great leader and a great person. People feed off his energy and so you could feel all of that, not only in the plays he was making but the energy he had."

Barkley, on the other hand, remained hard on himself, though he was stoked to learn that he made NFL history as the first player to ever score a touchdown in South America.

"I'm the first person to ever score in South America!" Barkley said. "That's cool. I'm definitely trying to get the game ball and that's something to hang up and put in my house. The O-line played great. That's a big reason why I wanted to come to Philly when I had the opportunity and why it was a no-brainer for me.

"We still have a lot to improve on, including myself. So, it meant a lot to come out here and take advantage of the opportunity to be the first team to play in South America. Not only just play, but to take care of business and get the W too."

The Eagles will get the rest of the week to recover from their long trip before hosting the Atlanta Falcons at home for Monday Night Football.

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