Saquon Barkey didn’t take Tiki Barber’s jabs at him lying down.
The WFAN afternoon host tore into the now-Eagles running back for the decision to sign with rival Philadelphia, saying that the former second overall pick was, “Dead to us now. You’re dead to us, Saquon.”
The over-the-top comments quickly spread on social media and made their way back to Barkley, who, after agreeing to a three-year deal with Philadelphia worth up to $37.75 million with $26 million guaranteed, had no problem tagging Barber in a fiery response of his own.
Saquon Barkley got into a war of words with Tiki Barber on Monday. Bill Kostroun/New York Post “@TikiBarber lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team,” Barkley shot back on social media. “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.”
Barkley wasn’t done there either.
Explore More
“@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,” Barkley wrote.
Barber has not been one to shy away from voicing his unfiltered opinion and Barkley clearly didn’t take too kindly to the implications in the former athlete turned sports talk host’s words.
Barber seemed to walk back some of what he said later in the show, in particular saying his “dead to me” comment was “basically tongue in cheek.”
Barkley’s quip about Barber’s “loyalty to a team” appeared to be a shot at Barber’s decision to retire after the 2006 season in the midst of his prime due to dissatisfaction with head coach Tom Coughlin and other aspects of the organization.
Tiki Barber wasn’t shy about taking shots at Barkley on his way out. WFAN The Giants went on to win the Super Bowl the year after Barber retired.
“Cause I got tired of getting beat up and I left the game and they, by the way, won a Super Bowl after that. What are you talking about?” Barber said in a clip posted by WFAN on X, formerly Twitter, in response to 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’re going to come back and talk about something from 17 years ago that you don’t even understand, or are misrepresenting. Fine, be that way, then.”
Barber then added that he does like Barkley and claimed that he’s “done nothing but support” the running back.
But the sports talk host couldn’t help but get in a quip at the end, adding, “I know what my legacy is with the New York Giants.”
Barkley and the Eagles had been linked with one another since it became clear the Giants would allow the Penn State product to head to free agency for the first time in his career.
Barber had railed against the idea of Barkley going to the Eagles last week, when he said on WFAN that it would be “insulting to his Giant history and legacy” and in the same breath referring to outgoing station program director Spike Eskin, leaving to take a job in Philadelphia, as a “traitor.”
The 27-year-old Barkley started 74 games during his six seasons with the Giants, in which he rushed for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Barkley had another 2,100 receiving yards during that time and 12 touchdown receptions.
