Saquon Barkley Starts Season With Most Impressive 5-Yard Gain You'll Ever See

The Cowboys mostly kept Barkley in check.
Saquon Barkley made a one-handed catch and so much more on just one play.
Saquon Barkley made a one-handed catch and so much more on just one play. / @NF

Saquon Barkley rushed for over 2,000 yards and won the Super Bowl during the 2024 season, and on Thursday night he was back on a football field doing awesome things as the Eagles opened their season against the Cowboys.

Last season, Barkley hurdled a defender backwards in a play that was so awesome it ended up on the cover of Madden. On Thursday he scored a touchdown to start the '25 season, but his most impressive feat came on a five-yard play on a drive where his team punted.

Facing second-and-3 in the fourth quarter, Barkley blocked, made a one-handed catch, stiff-armed a defender and trucked another on his way to a first down.

The Cowboys pass rush, minus Micah Parsons, got to Jalen Hurts easily on this play, despite Barkley helping out with the blocking, so Jalen Hurts hurried a throw in the general vicinity of his running back. This throw should not have been caught. Barkley caught it.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley made a one-handed catch against the Cowboys. / @NF

Then he stiff-armed linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. and put him on the turf.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley stiff-arms a Cowboys defender. / @NF

After that he lowered his shoulder and ran over DaRon Bland and knocked him backwards. The only thing that kept Bland upright was the fact that Donovan Wilson came in and also went flying.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley got a first down that sent defenders flying. / @NFL

Barkley was absolute chaos on this play. No one has ever done more on one single play to gain five yards. It's going to be a fun season.


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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.