The NFC Championship didn’t just send the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl; it ignited a social media firestorm between New York Giants pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant.
The catalyst? Saquon Barkley’s three-touchdown masterpiece against the Washington Commanders, that added another painful chapter to the Giants’ ongoing nightmare of watching their former franchise cornerstone thrive for a hated rival.
Bryant, never shy about throwing jabs at anyone looking for smoke, took to Twitter/X to troll the franchise during Barkley’s dominant outing. Thibodeaux, clearly tired of the pile-on, fired back with, “I’m shooting on any old head mentioning the Giants from here on out.” Bryant, in classic form, didn’t back down.
"The only player over there who's legit is Malik Nabers... Other than that, sorry to break it to you buddy, you guys are awful. Cut all of that political sh*t out! …You better hope they don't trade your a** the way you're hyping …Pipe down buddy… I bet not see you looking for a trade or cut," Bryant tweeted.
Kayvon Thibodeaux vs. Dez Bryant heats up over Barkley’s big day
Thibodeaux’s reply was swift, dragging Giants general manager Joe Schoen into the mix: “If Joe call you for a work out I bet you show up.” It was a clever shot, but Bryant didn’t let up, doubling down on his criticism of the Giants’ roster and predicting Thibodeaux might not stick around in New York if things don’t improve.
For a franchise mired in dysfunction, the spat couldn’t have come at a worse time. Barkley’s dominance in Philly—118 yards and three touchdowns—was a stark reminder of everything the Giants lost when they let him walk in free agency. Watching him shred the Commanders to send the Eagles to the Super Bowl was bad enough. Add in the fact that a former Cowboy was the one rubbing salt in the wound, and it’s clear the Giants’ misery wasn't limited to the field.
Thibodeaux’s frustration is understandable. He’s stuck on a team that just went 3-14, watching a player who used to be the heart of their offense help a rival reach the sport’s biggest stage. While his back-and-forth with Bryant might provide some Twitter/X entertainment, it also underscores the larger issue: the Giants’ front office gambled by letting Barkley go, and now the entire league is laughing at them.
Barkley’s success has cast a harsh light on the decisions of Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. For Thibodeaux and the Giants faithful, it’s not just about the losses piling up—it’s about the growing sense that the franchise doesn’t have a clear plan to climb out of the hole it dug itself into.
The social media spat between the two was hilarious. Truth is, Bryant is essentially irrelevant now (other than his Twitter tantrums), while Thibodeaux heads into his fourth season. Thibodeaux got the best shot of the night in, letting Bryant know he can talk all the trash he wants, but the two have the same amount of Super Bowl wins: zero. Isn't that all that really matters?
Unlike Bryant, at least Thibodeaux still has time to change the zero Super Bowls narrative—his story is far from finished.