Tiki Barber Says Saquon Barkley 'Dead to Me' Video 'Was Made Tongue-in-Cheek'

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber suggested that his criticism of Saquon Barkley on Monday was merely a joke.

After it was reported that Barkley left the Giants and agreed to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, Barber took aim at Barkley on his Evan and Tiki radio show on WFAN.

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Barber said the following about Barkley while laughing: "He's dead to us now. He's dead to us. You're dead to us, Saquon. Good luck. You're dead to me."

Barber's comments didn't sit well with Barkley, who expressed his displeasure with Barber in a pair of posts on X:

According to Raanan, Barber later said that his "dead to me" comment was made in a "tongue-in-cheek" manner.

Barber also responded to the posts on his radio show, dismissing Barkley's assertion that he was a "hater" during Barkley's time in New York:

Barber spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the G-Men, earning three Pro Bowl nods and one First Team All-Pro selection during that time. He also ranks first in team history with 10,449 rushing yards and second with 55 rushing touchdowns.

The Giants selected Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft out of Penn State, and while injuries adversely impacted about half of his tenure, he was still a highly productive player, winning the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and being named to the Pro Bowl twice.

Now, the 27-year-old Barkley will continue his career with the arguably the Giants' biggest rival in an Eagles team that is just two seasons removed from reaching the Super Bowl.

With Barkley joining an Eagles offense that already includes quarterback Jalen Hurts, wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and tight end Dallas Goedert, Philly figures to be the favorite to win the NFC East in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Giants may struggle again, as their offense is now completely devoid of playmakers.