Saquon Barkley did not make any friends in New York after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on the first day of free agency. Tiki Barber went so far as to say that he is “dead” to the organization that drafted the running back out of Penn State and its fanbase.
The Giants legend has completely written him off.
Barber, who played 10 years in the Big Apple, held at least 22 franchise records upon retirement in 2007. His team selected Barkley 11 years later with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Now, after six injury-ridden seasons and just one playoff appearance in New York, the Bronx-native is off to play for the organization’s biggest rival. Barkley’s ridiculous lower body strength is not only going to provide a major boost to the backfield if he can stay healthy, it will make the NFL’s most successful play even better.
On the flip side, Giants fans are now his enemy. A fanbase that was (mostly) patient and supportive of Barkley during a frustrating tenure with their team is now going to hate him.
Barber issued a warning about the reception prior to his signing.
He took it one step further after the news officially broke.
He’s dead to us now. You’re dead to us, Saquon. Good luck, you’re dead to me.
— Tiki Barber on WFAN
Those words are as sharp as they look, but Barber’s delivery was not as harsh as it reads. The 10,000+ yard rusher was reacting as any frustrated fan would! He doesn’t necessarily consider Barkley dead.
It’s a figure of speech. But… Barber still said it!
Shaun Morash, who voices the radio show on WFAN alongside Barber and Evan Roberts, told Eagles fans to “enjoy the nine games he’ll play next year” and told Barkley to “enjoy those overrated cheesesteaks.”
Roberts wishes that Giants GM Joe Schoen would have franchise tagged the running back for a second-straight year and used him as trade bait. Barber pushed back on that notion because he believes that it would hurt the locker room.
Instead, Saquon Barkley is gone and he is dead to Tiki Barber!