Terrell Owens chirps back after Donovan McNabb says his antics 'broke us up'

Old grudges die hard.

In 2005, Terrell Owens engaged in one of the most public holdouts in NFL history.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ All-Pro wide receiver wanted a new deal following a monster season and a Super Bowl appearance. When he didn’t get it, he performed his own shirtless workouts in his driveway instead of with his teammates and infamously invited media to make it a public spectacle.

Owens eventually reported without a new contract, but was ultimately suspended by the Eagles for the last four games of the season as his feud with teammates and repeated jabs at quarterback Donovan McNabb led to locker-room discord. The Eagles devolved that season from NFC champions to 6-10 and last place in the NFC East.

‘Major distraction’

For that, McNabb is still agitated. He recounted the experience in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Master Tes released on Wednesday and blames Owens for breaking up a contender.

“I thought that was the major distraction for us,” McNabb said. “He's doing sit-ups, he's doing push-ups, he's playing basketball, he's ordering pizza for the people out there, and we're sitting there in training camp just like, 'You've got to be kidding me.' ...

“This is like ‘Days Of Our Lives.’ It’s unbelievable. But that was something that kind of broke us up.”

Owens responds

It didn’t take long for Owens to chirp back, promising to dish dirt on McNabb if Master Tes is interested.

He didn’t stop there.

Old grudges die hard. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Old grudges die hard. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

McNabb never played in another Super Bowl

Owens’ two-year stint with the Eagles ended in 2005 as he signed the next season to play for the rival Dallas Cowboys.

McNabb’s Eagles went on to make the playoffs three more times during his tenure but never returned to the Super Bowl. McNabb and Owens continue to snipe at each other in the media 15 years later.

As then-Eagles coach Andy Reid prepares to coach in another Super Bowl leading the Kansas City Chiefs, McNabb won’t have any more opportunities for a ring.

And for that, he remains mad at Owens.

More from Yahoo Sports: