The New York Giants would have won zero of their four Super Bowls without a stable of elite running backs: Joe Morris in 1986, Ottis Anderson and Rodney Hampton in 1990, and Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw in 2007 and 2011.

Yes, the ’86 Big Blue Wrecking Crew rattled Denver quarterback John Elway and the ’90 Giants defense took down Buffalo’s no-huddle offense. Michael Strahan’s ’07 Giants shut down the previously unbeaten New England Patriots before that squad added the exclamation point four years later in Indianapolis.

The Giants don’t win any of those games, though, without the production from their big-game running backs, and Saquon Barkley is better than all of them. That’s why losing him to free agency makes absolutely no sense, and the Giants will drift closer to mediocrity than a return to the Super Bowl when he is gone.

Reports from Philadelphia indicate the Eagles are interested in signing Mr. Barkley, who becomes available when the NFL free agency period begins on Wednesday. Why wouldn’t they be? 

Mr. Barkley, who has rushed for 5,211 yards in five-plus seasons with the Giants, is free to sign with any team, including the Giants. But don’t expect a reunion to happen, when every team in the league can make their bid. With the Giants, it’s a divorce settlement. Don’t tell your spouse to look elsewhere for love and try to welcome them home again. Mr. Barkley will be wearing a different jersey next year, and the Giants have only themselves to blame.

Mr. Barkley wanted $12 million per season last year when negotiations on a multi-year contract began. He settled for a one-year deal worth $10.1 million as the devaluation of the running back turned into a league-wide reality. Now Mr. Barkley and his agent Ed Berry are free to speak with interested teams about a multi-year contract.

The knock on Mr. Barkley, 27, is that he has missed 24 games due to injury, including 14 in 2020 when he tore his ACL. He missed four games in 2023 with a high ankle injury and earned 962 yards rushing with six touchdowns on 247 carries. He also caught 41 passes for 280 yards and four scores. That gives him 2,274 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing over the previous two seasons. Add 618 yards receiving and that’s nearly 3,000 total yards over two years. That, apparently, is not good enough for the Giants.

It’s the decision of Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll to allow Mr. Barkley to become a free agent that has fans scratching their heads. That same braintrust last year had no qualms about signing quarterback Daniel Jones to a $160 million contract in March 2023. Mr. Jones played just six games last year, leading the team to a disappointing 1-5 start before going down with a season-ending knee injury.

Why running backs are devalued is more of a conspiracy than reality. Running backs are being devalued because running backs get hurt. What position doesn’t? See Daniel Jones. And we’re told running backs aren’t that important in today’s spread offenses. Not true. A running back that can take on a blitzing linebacker or defensive back is valuable in protecting the quarterback. A running back that can catch a pass as a safety value or intended receiver is also a weapon, and a running back that can turn third-and-1 into a 50-yard touchdown run is special. Mr. Barkley can do all three.

San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, a running back, is the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year and led the Niners to the Super Bowl. Mr. McCaffrey has the richest contract in the league, averaging $16 million, followed by Alvin Kamara ($15 million), Jonathan Taylor ($14 million), Nick Chubb ($12.2 million), and Aaron Jones ($12 million), according to Spotrac.com. Mr. Chubb is scheduled to be the highest-paid running back this year at $12.2 million.

The team that signs Mr. Barkley isn’t going to pay much more than that for one or two seasons. One report predicted his new contract would be a three-year deal worth an estimated $33 million with $23 million guaranteed.

Larger factors are at play, too. The NFL announced in March that the 2024 salary cap increased more than 13 percent from $224.8 million to $255.4 million. It appeared the increase would create enough money to appease Mr. Barkley and keep him on a team that desperately needs his presence and production. Now it will be the Eagles or the Dallas Cowboys that will give Mr. Barkley what he wants, setting up a Giants fan’s worst nightmare.

Something is wrong when a team won’t sign its best player and best leader. The Giants are also letting safety Xavier McKinney, 24, hit the free market. It’s difficult to create loyalty and build a winning culture when the best players and leaders are walking out the door. Mr. Barkley, admired for what he does in the community as well as what he does on the field, deserves better. Giants fans deserve better.