Last weekend, the brother of Aqib Talib allegedly shot and killed a man at a youth football game in Texas. Aqib was there. And while he hasn’t been charged with a crime, the situation continues to be messy and confusing and ultimately ominous.
And so Talib won’t be working for Amazon this season.
Talib told Ian Rapoport of NFL Media that the long-time NFL defensive back will be stepping away from his broadcasting duties to spend time with his family.
It feels like the final product of a carefully-manicured P.R. strategy. Amazon surely didn’t want Talib on the air, given the situation. The NFL surely didn’t want Amazon to put Talib on the air, given the situation.
Thus, Talib got a chance to walk away. And he took it.
It’s really not a surprise. From the moment the situation first came to light, it felt as if Talib’s stint with Amazon would be unsustainable.
Maybe, at some point, he’ll be able to do it again. He’s very entertaining on TV. But plenty of things need to be figured out about the incident from last weekend in Texas before that can ever happen.
A first-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2008, Talib played for Tampa Bay, New England, Denver, Rams, and Dolphins.