Tiki seems to like to criticize Jets QBs, potential or otherwise
The New York Jets offseason news cycle revolves around who their next quarterback will be.
When a New York media personality weighs in on the situation, people listen. When Tiki Barber makes his thoughts known, though, it’s always taken with a grain of suspicion. After all, Tiki played for the Giants for 10 years.
Tiki gave his take on the Jets’ rumored pursuit of Aaron Rodgers. On his WFAN ‘Tiki and Tierney Show’ together with Jets fan Brandon Tierney, Barber commented that he does not want Rodgers on the Jets—but for a somewhat perplexing reason.
On ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ this week, Rodgers contradicted reports from Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter about when his ‘isolation retreat’ will take place. Tiki apparently took issue with that.
If Aaron Rodgers is already "taking shots" at the media, @TikiBarber says he isn't cut out for New York: pic.twitter.com/v7ca9LBuOl
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) February 15, 2023
There has been some speculation about how Rodgers’s prickly personality will play in New York, but this is a very odd spin on that idea.
All Rodgers said to McAfee was that the reports about his timeline for a decision were false. He took shots at Rapoport and Schefter only inasmuch as he was explaining why they were wrong.
Since these are the two most well-known and generally accurate reporters around the NFL, it makes sense to clarify why they were not correct in his case.
This is not the first time Tiki has publicly criticized a player connected to the Jets. Last offseason, with a lot of social media stir about Zach Wilson’s private life, Tiki came out and knocked Wilson for a lack of focus on football.
While there may be a reason to be concerned about Rodgers’s potential to clash with the New York media, some would argue that Tiki’s personality compares nicely with Rodgers’s. Barber called out his teammates publicly, both during and immediately after his playing career. He also showed character issues throughout the years.
For the Jets, this is a non-story. Let the Rodgers pursuit continue as scheduled.