Saquon Barkley is clapping back at criticism from former Giants running back Tiki Barber on his recent free agency move. Barkley left New York after six seasons to sign with NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles, and Barber didn’t hold back on his feelings.
“You’re dead to me. You’re dead to us,” Barber said on WFAN Sports Radio.
Barkley was quick to defend himself on social media, tweeting his reasoning for moving on from the Giants. It ultimately came down to contract negotiations, as New York was unwilling to pay the running back the salary he wanted and declined to franchise tag him either.
Barkley signed a three-year deal with the Eagles that will pay him $37.75 million, with $26 million of that being guaranteed.
“lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team,” the running back wrote. “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.”
Barkley wasn’t done there, however, as he went on to again call out Barber for the way he treated him during his time with the Giants.
“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 added.
As Barkley mentioned, Barber was loyal to the Giants as he played his entire 10-year NFL career with the franchise. He remains the all-time leading rusher in Giants history with 10,449 yards and 55 touchdowns. Barkley ranks fourth in franchise history with 5,211 yards.
Still, with running backs having a harder time finding contracts than in the past, it’s hard to blame Barkley for leaving to take more money. He rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns this past season, marking just the third year of his career he failed to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. The year prior in 2022, he ranked fourth in the NFL with 1,312 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Regardless of how Tiki Barber feels about it, Saquon Barkley is set to join an Eagles team that finished 11-6 this past season and lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. He’ll face his former team twice in the upcoming season and that storyline will certainly add even more intrigue to that rivalry.
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