Tiki Barber Not Wanted in NFL

Tiki Barber was quoted in an HBO interview saying he "needed the game," but apparently the game doesn't need him. NFL team rosters were cut to 53 over the weekend as they prepare for the first week of regular season football; and this yearly ritual could mean much more for Barber.

The 36-year old former Giants tailback retired at the end of the 2006 season to pursue a career in broadcasting. A couple seasons later, the itch to play again struck, and Barber filed papers to "un-retire" in March of this year. Although he did get a workout with the Miami Dolphins, no team showed serious interest in picking Barber up. Teams moved through the preseason with their expanded rosters, passing up the opportunity to test-drive the 3-time Pro Bowler to see what he has left. As the preseason came to a close and Barber failed to get an offer, disappointment has apparently set in.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated reported the following after the final roster cuts were in place:

I tried to reach Barber on Sunday, but he wasn't talking. I hear he's devastated that no team gave him a chance. You might wonder if teams would bring him in after the first game of the season, so his contract wouldn't be guaranteed, and that could still happen. But with no team calling [Barber's agent Mark] Lepselter with even a hint of interest, it's more likely teams would start with backs who've been in some football competition this summer.

Lepselter told me Sunday: "We are flabbergasted that Tiki has not had an opportunity with any team, especially when rosters were at 90 players this year. I certainly thought some team would be intrigued to see what he had left in the tank.''

At 36, Barber is very near the end of what would be considered a standard career for a running back. This, in conjunction with the lack of desperate need around the league for a rusher, has seemingly doomed his comeback attempt. One can't really blame teams for wanting to focus on younger talent rather than taking a chance on someone who has a year or two left in the tank. Compound that with the question of whether or not he's lost his edge during his NFL hiatus, and you may as well write the death certificate for Tiki's NFL career.

Although it looks very unlikely Tiki's comeback will be a success, there is still a very real chance a big injury for a team in the playoff hunt could inspire talks between Barber and a team.

Source: Sports Illustrated