During a live Twitter Q&A earlier this month, Washington Redskins safety Landon Collins slighted his former New York Giants teammate, Saquon Barkley, claiming Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in football.
The comment, along with a shot at general manager Dave Gettleman and Giants fans, was just the latest in a long line of sour grapes for Collins, so Giants Nation paid little attention to it.
However, Collins doubled-down on his Barkley criticism during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Monday morning.
“Every time I’ve played against him, Saquon is a home run hitter, but when it goes pound-for-pound, I’d rather hit Saquon every time,” Collins said.
“When it’s pound-for-pound, you feel all 225 pounds of Zeke every time he runs the ball. He runs behind his pads. Playing Saquon, practicing against him, I understand he’s a big guy, got big quads and a big frame. But at the same time, I hit big backs all the time. I hit big receivers all the time . . . when I hit Zeke, when I hit Saquon, to me Zeke is a pound-for-pound better back.”
Collins, of course, had gotten into it with Saquon during a Week 16 game last season last season, which may have altered his opinion of the league’s best all-around running back.
“I don’t think I can say [what I told Collins],” Barkley told the New York Post at the time, adding that he didn’t want to use profanity.
“It was a little chippie. Or like, ‘Chill out … just chill out.’ We had a couple of words for each other.”
Collins and Barkley later acknowledged burying the hatchet, but you have to wonder if these recent comments from the safety not only motivate Barkley, but damage their relationship.
