Tiki Barber: Why Former Giants RB's Proposed Return to NFL Was a Total Nightmare

When Tiki Barber announced his comeback earlier this year, I immediately thought it was some kind of joke. The former New York Giants running back was productive during his career, but so much negative press has surrounded him since his retirement that I thought he had to know there was no way he would get another shot in the league.

He had to know people in the NFL thought he was a locker room cancer, right? He had to be aware that his actions with an NBC intern while he was working on The Today Show had turned almost everyone off to him, right? He couldn't think after throwing his former quarterback under the bus on national television that anyone in the NFL would take him seriously, could he?

Most importantly, Barber thought that at 36 years old and after being out of football for four years, teams would jump all over the chance to sign him and throw him right into the fire.

Other than Peter King—who mentions that he's good friends with Barber in virtually every column he writes and was openly campaigning for him to get a job—no one in the country was surprised when Barber wasn't signed and didn't get a single call this weekend when teams finalized their rosters.

At the beginning of August the Miami Dolphins brought Barber in for a workout but were unimpressed, as they let the three-time Pro Bowler walk without even discussing a contract. The Dolphins then signed Larry Johnson for depth before cutting him.

Clearly Barber has absolutely no self-awareness and just doesn't understand how people actually view him. His agent Mark Lepselter fits into that category as well, as his comments to King suggest:

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"We are flabbergasted that Tiki has not had an opportunity with any team, especially when rosters were at 90 players this year (during training camp). I certainly thought some team would be intrigued to see what he had left in the tank."

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Again, apparently only people in Barber's inner circle thought he had any chance of actually making an NFL roster. Running back is arguably the most interchangeable position on a football team. The fact that Barber thought he could just step in after four years away and be a difference-maker tells us all we need to know about him. And something tells me Tiki wouldn't have been happy just being a roster guy who was expected to contribute on special teams.

I certainly respect what Barber did on the field during his 10-year career. He piled up 10,449 yards and 55 touchdowns on 2,217 carries, while adding 5,183 yards and 12 touchdowns on 586 receptions. Those are fantastic numbers, and he was a three-time All-Pro selection (2002, 2004, 2006) and is the Giants' all-time leading rusher.

There is no doubt he was a supremely talented back with special ability. But that was more than four years ago, and with all that has come out about his personality in the locker room and off the field, I'm not the least bit surprised his comeback attempt was an absolute disaster.

In fact, no one should be surprised by the outcome, not even Tiki.