All Barkley could do was chuckle in agreement as he stumbled over his words. The Giants receive more and more backlash with each monster performance Barkley puts on on the midnight green, but the decision to let him walk was a win for all parties involved.

There’s no arguing that on the Philadelphia side, right? The Eagles were already an elite running team with Jalen Hurts and a dominant offensive line, but Barkley took this offense to the next level. The Penn State product leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,137) and has a realistic chance to become the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

Behind Barkley eagles No. 1 in NFL rushing EPA/play (0.050). Philly’s offensive line is best at opening holes and running backs to the second level, making it a perfect fit with Barkley’s elusiveness and breakaway speed in the open field. His three-year, $37.8 million deal is already worth every penny.

But that wouldn’t have been the case for the Giants if general manager Joe Schoen had decided to open his checkbook for Barkley. It’s easy to say the Big Blue made a big mistake watching Barkley play tough defense week after week, but he wouldn’t have put up the same numbers behind New York’s offensive line.

Running back is a luxury position in the NFL. Elite runners like Barkley and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry are worth the money for their respective teams because they add an explosive element to offenses that are already difficult to defend. This was not the case in New York. Barkley was the culprit.

Giants won’t be competing for NFC East title anytime soonand that would be true whether Barkley was on the team or not. They can’t spend money on luxury positions when the quarterback (Daniel Jones) is a disaster, the offensive line still needs to be strengthened, and the secondary is falling behind every game.

Rebuilding teams like the Giants need to turn to running backs and allocate their resources to more impact positions. With running backs being so valued in today’s NFL, it’s easier than ever to find breakout RBs late in the draft. We’re already seeing that with Giants fifth-round rookie Tyrone Tracy, who is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has rushed for at least 100 yards three times in his last six games. And New York only needs to pay him $4.31 million over four seasons. These savings will be crucial to New York’s roster-building efforts in the coming years.

The Eagles may have won the Barkley sweepstakes, but the Giants were right to let him go.