In a surprising development, a former long-time New York Giant is poised to return to the gridiron.
According to FOXSports.com, running back Tiki Barber has decided to come out of retirement and resume his NFL playing career. His agent, Mark Lepselter, confirmed via Twitter that the necessary paperwork has been filed with the league, making Tiki’s comeback bid official.
“We filed papers for Tiki to come out of retirement” Barber’s agent, Mark Lepselter, told FOXSports.com. “We filed papers with the commmissioner’s office and the Giants. And there are interested parties.”
Set to turn 36 in April, Barber has been away from the game for four years, though he still feels like he has enough left in the tank to pick up where he left off.
“After seeing my brother still have fun at our age, it reignited the fire. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of seeing if I can get back to the level of where I was,” Barber, who turns 36 in April, told FOXSports.com exclusively. “I started working out again recently. It kind of shocked myself. I still had a lot of the strength I had before. I’m really looking forward to making a return.”
Although the Giants still hold his rights, they’re expected to release Barber when he’s reinstated.
“We wish Tiki nothing but the best, and when we are able to make the transaction, we will release him from our reserve-retired list,” the Giants said.
Never having played for another team, Barber spent 10 seasons with Big Blue and announced his retirement after the 2006 season. In his final season, he accounted for 2,127 total yards. In his career, Barber has amassed over 15,000 yards (rushing and receiving), including 67 touchdowns.
Now that he’s returning with fresh legs, Tiki can help a squad as a rotational player, primarily as a short-yardage or third-down back.
