Saquon Barkley's departure diminishes his already complicated Giants legacy

Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley is returning to the Keystone State, but his departure will tarnish his already complex legacy in New York.

On Monday, Barkley, who spent his first six NFL seasons as the face of the New York Giants, agreed to a three-year, $37.75M deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that could be worth up to $46.75M. The two-time Pro Bowler will soon become the featured back on a run-heavy Eagles team aiming to avenge their horrific late-season collapse in 2023.

Although Barkley spurning New York for its division rival is understandably frustrating, it could be beneficial in the long run, as his departure helps inch closer to shutting the door on a disastrous era in Giants history.

That's not to say Barkley was a problem for the Giants. In fact, Barkley proved to be quite the opposite, being nothing short of a true professional and leader for a franchise that has struggled to rebuild a winning culture since beating New England in Super Bowl XLVI. 

Still, it doesn't diminish the reality that much of the Giants' problems can be traced back to former GM Dave Gettleman's puzzling decision to draft Barkley No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Aside from the fact that it's typically unwise to spend a first-round pick on the most replaceable position in the sport, the Giants' gamble on Barkley prevented them from drafting a successor to then-37-year-old QB Eli Manning. 

While there's no telling which quarterback prospect New York would've selected, NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton recently revealed that Giants owner John Mara "loved" current Bills signal-caller Josh Allen.

New York undoubtedly wishes it could correct that mistake now, even more so since it selected Daniel Jones No. 6 overall just a year later. Even so, the Barkley pick's initial returns were nonetheless impressive.

Barkley would rack up 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns during the 2018 season en route to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Unfortunately for Barkley and New York, this was his best season in a Giants uniform and the only one where he didn't miss a game.

In 2019, Barkley went on to run for 1,003 yards across 13 games — the second of three career 1,000-yard rushing seasons — but his career trajectory dramatically changed in 2020. In Week 2 of that year, Barkley suffered a season-ending ACL tear, which — along with an ankle injury — contributed to his struggles in 2021, when he finished with 593 rushing yards and four total TDs.

Ultimately, the sides couldn't reach an agreement, and New York decided to place the franchise tag on Barkley instead of Jones, who had the best season of his career in 2022. Jones subsequently signed a four-year, $160M deal, which New York has already begun to try to get out of, whereas Barkley played on a one-year, adjusted franchise tag following a brief holdout.

The Jones contract continues to be heavily criticized but had New York franchise-tagged him, Barkley would've likely walked during free agency last offseason, and the team probably wouldn't have signed LB Bobby Okereke. 

Chances are the Giants wouldn't have been able to give DT Dexter Lawrence or LT Andrew Thomas their respective contract extensions, either, further justifying the decision not to pay big money to Barkley. 

Now, Barkley finally gets his long-desired extension in addition to the opportunity to play in the state where he grew up and rose to national prominence. One can't fault Barkley for making the best possible business decision for himself by joining a legitimate Super Bowl contender, especially considering the price of his contract. 

However, for a player who always mentioned the desire to leave a lasting legacy in New York, Barkley will only be remembered as the star on some of the worst teams in franchise history and a "what if?"