Saquon Barkley Fired Back at Tiki Barber
Saquon Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, leaving the New York Giants after six years with the organization. Former Giants running back Tiki Barber wasn't happy Barkley skipped town and expressed his displeasure publicly.
On WFAN on Monday, Barber said Barkley is "dead to me." Here's video of the exchange:
"You're dead to us"
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 11, 2024
Tiki reacts to Saquon Barkley reportedly signing with the hated Eagles 😮 pic.twitter.com/fU3hYZaQkV
It didn't take long for Barkley to fire back, blasting Barber for criticizing his move:
@TikiBarber lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team.. I got the deal I wanted, secured more gm which wasn’t given to me before… so if fans are gonna hate me for that so be it! But I never turned my back on my teammates and always had theirs https://t.co/6aKgJquD0F
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024
And he continued:
@TikiBarber you been a hater since I got to New York … and all the “Dead to me” talk don’t smile in my face when you see me
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024
Yikes. Something tells me they will not be exchanging Christmas cards this year.
It's fair to remember that the Giants made Barkley the second pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but didn't give him a long-term extension when he was ready for one. Instead the two-time Pro Bowler was franchise tagged, which was later renegotiated as a one-year, $10.1 million deal. That saga created a ton of friction with the Giants. He was never going back after that.
In 2023, Barkley played in 14 games and rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns on 247 carries (3.9 yards per carry), while catching 41 passes for 280 yards and four more scores. His best season came as a rookie in 2018 when he rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns on 261 carries (5.0 yards per carry), and added 91 receptions for 721 yards and four touchdowns. Barkley approached those heights again in 2022, when he ran for 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns on 295 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and added 57 receptions for 338 yards.
Barkley is only 27 years old and likely still has gas left in the tank. The Eagles are betting on him, by giving him $26 million in guaranteed money. We'll see how it works out.