Tom Coughlin would not welcome a Tiki Barber reunion, but a former Giants coach is interested in the running back.
Jim Fassel, head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Locos of the United Football League, reached out to Barber, 36, about joining his team, according to USA Today.
“Tiki always kept himself in great shape,” Fassel told the newspaper. “There will definitely be an adjustment period for him to get in the flow of things and getting his body used to being hit again.”
Barber’s rights are still owned by the Giants, but they are expected to release their all-time leading rusher when the NFL lockout ends, making him a free agent.
Barber retired after the 2006 season and took shots at Coughlin in his book and quarterback Eli Manning in his role as an NBC analyst.
Manning recently said the team would rather take wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who was released from prison last month, than play again with Barber.
Barber said the Steelers and Buccaneers are on the short list of NFL teams he would consider joining. It appears Barber at least has a backup option in Fassel, who became the Giants coach in 1997, the same year they drafted Barber out of Virginia.
Fassel led the Locos to back-to-championships in the first two years of the five-team UFL.