Saquon Barkley joins elite Eagles company after scoring 3 touchdowns in team debut

For whatever reason, the New York Giants made the decision to let their superstar running back Saquon Barkley test the free agent market, in an attempt to show him that he wasn't as valuable as he thought he was. It seemed like the Giants expected him to field offers and then come back to them on a team friendly deal. To note, the team pinching pennies with Barkley is the same team that issued out a four year, $160 million contract to Daniel Jones.

Instead of the market agreeing with the Giants and offering Barkley lowball offers that would send him back to New York, the Philadelphia Eagles gave him a contract that would bring him to the NFC East rival.

Everybody was counting Barkley out. Everybody was saying that he was washed, and he wouldn't amount to the same level of production as he did in his Giants days. It took just one game for Barkley to prove all of the haters wrong.

Barkley received a bell-cow workload in his Eagles debut, registered 25 touches and well over 100 all-purpose yards. Along with that, Barkley scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, in his Philadelphia debut.

Another note: Barkley slipped and fell down on his first play from scrimmage, losing five yards for his first touch as an Eagle. That would be one of the only negative plays that he would make all game.

Saquon Barkley joins elite Eagles company with three touchdown performance

Barkley joined some elite company with this three touchdown performance. The Eagles running back became the first player to score three times in their first game with the team since Terrell Owens did it in 2004. Owens, one of the best wide outs of all time, had 8,500 yards and 81 touchdowns with the 49ers before he came over to Philadelphia and burst on the scene with his own three touchdown performance.

On Sept. 12, 2004, Owens caught eight passes for 68 yards and three touchdowns against the Giants.

Owens had a two year career with the Eagles where he scored 20 touchdowns, finished second in the Offensive Player of the Year, made a Pro Bowl and was named an All-Pro.

Best case scenario, the Eagles running back, Barkley, will follow in the footsteps that Owens laid out, except for the leaving after two seasons.

Either way, Barkley's initial success with the Eagles is a complete nightmare for the Giants. Not only did the Giants let him go, but they let him go to a division rival. Barkley will get his shot at revenge against his former team twice a year.