Saquon Barkley Concedes the Obvious After Commanders Rookie Sonny Styles Runs Through Him

Sonny Styles picked a memorable stage for his first NFL game. The Washington Commanders rookie linebacker, selected No. 7 overall, debuted Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles — and by the third quarter he had already introduced himself to one of the league’s most recognizable offensive players.

Styles made his presence felt early with a stop on Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, but the defining sequence came early in the third quarter with Philadelphia holding a 14-9 lead. Blitzing off the edge, Styles found himself matched up in pass protection against Barkley, a former Pro Bowler. The rookie overwhelmed the matchup, barreling through the running back and bringing down quarterback Jalen Hurts for the first sack of Styles’ career.

He wasn’t finished. Later in the third quarter, Styles met Barkley in the backfield and dropped him for a loss, adding a tackle-for-loss to his debut highlight reel.

The plays spread quickly across social media, with clips circulating widely among NFL accounts — including a post from Fox Sports’ NFL handle, part of Fox Corporation‘s NFL coverage operation. Fox (NASDAQ: FOXA), which operates its sports and entertainment programming through Cable Network Programming and Television segments, has a market capitalization of roughly $26.85 billion; its shares were essentially flat in Monday trading, changing hands around $67.57.

For his part, Barkley offered a candid assessment rather than excuses after the game.

“It didn’t shock me; he’s a good back, he’s a good linebacker,” Barkley said. “I tried getting underneath him; he did a really good job of keeping his feet. I stopped my feet. He got underneath me, and the rule of football, the lower man wins. Got my a– ran over. We get back up, and we keep going.”

At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Styles pairs unusual size for the position with the speed that made him a top-ten pick, and Barkley acknowledged the two figure to cross paths for years to come within the NFC East rivalry.

First-career sacks and highlight-reel tackles on All-Pro players are rare opening acts, and Styles managed both in a single afternoon — while earning public credit from the veteran he beat.

What to watch

• How Styles’ snap count and blitz usage evolve as the Commanders move deeper into their season schedule.
• Whether Styles builds on his debut production in upcoming games, including his next matchup against division opponents.
• The two teams’ rematch later this season, when Barkley and the Eagles will get a second look at the rookie.

Source: original release