'You're dead to me': Tiki Barber's rebuke of Saquon Barkley turns into NFL meme

When the NFL free agency period officially began last week, one of the first surprising moves was former Giants running back Saquon Barkley agreeing to terms with the rival Philadelphia Eagles - a move that jolted New York fans, who felt a sense of betrayal as the Bronx-born, Pennsylvania-raised star opted to join the hated Birds.

Former Giants pro bowl running back Tiki Barber was among the first to weigh in, and did so sharply on WFAN.

"He's dead to us now. You're dead to us, Saquon," Barber can be heard saying in the clip. "Good luck, you're dead to me."

If the intention was to make a sharp rebuke of Barkley, it may have backfired. Instead, Barber has become the butt of NFL free agency jokes on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Barber's rebuke of Barkley backfires into meme

First, it was Ravens quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson mocking Barber. When former Baltimore safety Geno Stone signed with the rival Bengals, Jackson tweeted that same moniker, "You’re Dead to us, You’re Dead to me‼️"

He did the same when former teammate Patrick Queen signed with the rival Steelers, adding a picture of Spongebob Squarepants.

With the MVP getting the lighthearted spoofs started, the jokes kept coming. Marquise Brown, another former Jackson teammate, joined the Kansas City Chiefs from the Arizona Cardinals. Quarterback Kyler Murray, a teammate of Brown in both college and the NFL, poked fun at the move with those same fateful words.

He added a meme-worthy photo of X-Men's Wolverine crying while looking at a photo of the duo in college at Oklahoma.

By the end of the first week of free agency, the jokes came at a rapid-fire pace. The Jaguars' Travis Etienne got in a playful shot at teammate Calvin Ridley. And Tyreek Hill also had fun with the phrase when Dolphins teammate Robert Hunt left for the Panthers

Of course, Philly fans have gotten in on the joke of the moment as well. When former Eagles backup tight end Jack Stoll signed with the New York Giants, there was a myriad of sarcastic "You're dead to me" tweets raining down on Adam Schefter's announcement of the move.

Barkley claps back at Barber

For all the mockery of Barber's hot take, Barkley seemed to be a legitimately irked by those words. He responded to Barber in two tweets.

"lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team.. 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 tweeted at Barber before adding. "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."

The former second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft might actually benefit from a look at social media to see that the best revenge is living well (and laughing off the criticism). Barber might've also won too, considering the buzz he created with his words.

Barkley might be dead to Barber, but the NFL's sense of humor is alive and well.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: You're dead to me: NFL meme arises from Tiki Barber, Saquon Barkley beef