The New York Giants will surely recover from losing Saquon Barkley during free agency but it’s clear how much of a beloved figure he was for the team.

That didn’t keep head coach Brian Daboll for keeping it real regarding the running back’s departure to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. In this business, it is what it is:

“This is what it is every year in the NFL,” Daboll told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “You meet great people, whether it’s coaches, players, staff members, and unfortunately everybody doesn’t stick together the entire time, it’s not what it was 30, 40 years ago.”

Daboll’s words are the reality even if old-school fans wished things would more closely resemble the days of yore when a player would play an entire career wearing the same colors. At the end of the day, the game has turned into such a huge business that players and coaches consistently move on for bigger opportunities.

There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way. It’s just the evolution of professional sports where each time winning has become more and more important. Financially and on the field.

“I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Saquon and all the players that went on to other places,” added Daboll. “It’s a special group when you’re going through an NFL season, you’ve got to go through ups and downs (…) Wish him all the best except when he is playing the Giants.”

We can’t blame the Giants head coach for being honest about his wishes for Barkley, especially since they’ll be fighting for the same divisional crown starting in 2024. Heck, the running back himself is already talking some trash about his former team turned bitter rival.

In New York, now it’s all about Devin Singletary and the rest of the Giants running backs while Barkley moves on to the Eagles.