Saquon Barkley hasn’t even officially signed with the Philadelphia Eagles — that can’t happen until Wednesday. But he’s already wading into social media comments about his decision to leave New York, notably exchanging barbs with former Giants running back Tiki Barber.
Barkley agreed to terms with the Eagles on Monday on a three-year deal worth up to $46.75 million, including $26 million guaranteed at signing, The Athletic reported Monday.
Advertisement
Barkley was drafted by the Giants with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018, and he became the face of the franchise over his tenure in New York amid the quarterback transition from Eli Manning to Daniel Jones. Barkley was a fan favorite and his departure to division rival Philadelphia already left fans feeling betrayed on social media.
As Barkley’s new deal went public, he thanked fans for the love and support he’s received followed by another post with two Eagles emojis to rep his new franchise.
Thank you to everyone who has shown me love and support over the past 6 years… forever grateful! Excited for the next chapter 💙✌🏾
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) March 11, 2024
Barkley’s decision and social posts didn’t land well with WFAN host Barber, during the “Evan & Tiki” show Monday. Barber’s Monday comments came after the host made remarks about the possible Barkley-Eagles pairing last week, saying any previous reverence would be gone if the back went to Philadelphia.
.@TikiBarber has a warning for Saquon Barkley after rumors swirl of interest in playing for the Philadelphia Eagles pic.twitter.com/ZJVs7XIJNF
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) March 7, 2024
“He’s dead to us now. You’re dead to us, Saquon,” Barber said Monday. “Good luck, you’re dead to me.”
Barkley didn’t let the comments slide. He responded on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, calling out Barber. Barkley wrote, “@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.”
@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
Barber was a second-round selection by the Giants in 1997 who played through 2006 before retiring. The very next season, the Giants won the Super Bowl. Barber has since offered a rebuttal to Barkley’s social media comment.
Tiki’s response to Saquon Barkley
— Evan and Tiki (@EvanandTikiWFAN) March 11, 2024
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson even took notice of the back-and-forth, offering a playful message for his now-former teammate Geno Stone, who agreed to terms with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
@GenoStone22 You’re Dead to us, You’re Dead to me‼️ https://t.co/rbvt1qLmmo
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) March 11, 2024
The two division games between the Eagles and Giants are already must-see contests. Monday’s newsy day just enforced that even more.
Required reading
- NFL free-agency takeaways: What to make of the Day 1 run on running backs
- Giants free agency: Devin Singletary replaces Saquon Barkley in new-look RB room
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images
