Saquon Barkley might be the first to do it, but he certainly won’t be the last. The new best friend of Jalen Hurts scored three touchdowns Friday night in Brazil, leading the Eagles to a 34-29 triumph over the Packers.
Barkley not only gave the Eagles the boost many thought they’d have this year, he also became the first NFL player to score touchdowns on three continents.
“Yeah, 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.”
Barkley’s house this offseason moved to Philadelphia, where he signed as free agent after six seasons with the division-rival Giants. The first player to score three touchdowns in his Eagles debut since Terrell Owens in 2004, Barkley told the Associated Press that he had good vibes as he launched his Philadelphia career.
“I’m always about visualizing success and putting positivity in my mind,” said Barkley after the game. “That’s one of my goals this year: Be more of a positive thinker.”
More positive thoughts are coming from Commissioner Roger Goodell, at least with regard to the NFL’s international future. In an interview prior to Friday’s game with CNBC, Goodell said international games are key to sustaining the league’s financial health.
“The reality is, when we bring our brand of our regular-season games here,” Goodell said, “it creates a whole new environment. It creates a spark and everything seems to really take off after that point in time.
The league has scheduled four more regular-season games this season outside the United States, and another in Madrid, Spain, next season.