Saquon Barkley, Tiki Barber spar on social media after star leaves Giants for Eagles
Former Giants running backs Saquon Barkley and Tiki Barber. Credit: Jim McIsaac; Ed Quinn
Two of the all-time great running backs in Giants history had a very public — and perhaps overdue — airing of grievances toward each other on Monday.
Tiki Barber said on his WFAN radio show that Saquon Barkley is “dead to us” after agreeing to terms with the rival Eagles and Barkley responded on social media with comments regarding Barber’s lack of “loyalty to a team” for the way he ended his career with the franchise.
“You been a hater since I got to New York,” Barkley wrote on X, in a comment directed at Barber. “And all the ‘Dead to me’ talk, don’t smile in my face when you see me.”
The feud, which as Barkley suggests has been simmering for years, came to the surface shortly after Barkley’s three-year $37.75 million agreement with the Eagles became public.
“He’s dead to us now. You’re dead to us, Saquon,” Barber said. “Good luck, you’re dead to me.”
Last week, when rumors of Barkley going to the Eagles first began to rumble, Barber said: “That Saquon would even contemplate going to play for that team in Philadelphia is insulting to his Giants legacy . . . Do not go to the Eagles, because if you do that appreciation and respect and reverence that we all have for you, Saquon, will be lost. It will be gone. We want to still respect and love him.”
Replying to a post that included Barber’s radio remarks on Monday, Barkley posted: “Yup, you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team.. I got the deal I wanted, secured more [guaranteed money] 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.”
Barber retired in 2006 as the Giants’ all-time leading rusher, making the announcement late in that season as the team was still working to reach the playoffs. He left to pursue a career in journalism. Some of his first comments in his new role were pointed criticisms of Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, which tarnished his standing within the organization and with the fan base.
Most of those sour feelings have since been salved, but Barkley certainly had enough institutional knowledge to dredge them up as part of his online rebuttal . . . and what may wind up being among his last official statements as a Giant.
Barkley’s comments came out while Barber was still on the air, which gave him a chance to respond to the response.
“What are you talking about?” he asked Barkley. “I’ve been retired for 17 years, 18 years. I am now in the media. The fact that my emotional reaction responding to you going to the Philadelphia Eagles, which, is by the way, the voice of a lot of Giants fans, I’d say the majority of Giants fans, and you are going to come back and talk about something from 17 years ago that you don’t even understand or are misrepresenting? That’s fine. Be that way.”
Barber added: “I like Saquon Barkley. Saying ‘dead to me’ was basically tongue in cheek, but it is what it is. Get offended . . . I know what my legacy is with the New York Giants. I’m pretty sure I was a Giant for life.”
Barber was then asked by his co-host, Evan Roberts, if he thinks his legacy with the Giants is better than Barkley’s.
His response: “Do I need to answer that?”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
