Aqib Talib, seen here in 2013, takes a shot at his former team, which could have serious implications. Credit: Getty Images
As if the next Patriots/Broncos matchup didn’t have enough intrigue, cornerback Aqib Talib decided to add some more.
Talib, who just inked a six-year, $57 million deal with Denver on Wednesday, accused New England of falsifying its injury report last season.
Talib was asked on Wednesday about his hip injury from last year, to which he replied, “I haven’t had a hip problem since Tampa. The Patriots have their way of reporting stuff, but I haven’t had a hip problem since Tampa. The injury I had was actually a quad injury, it was reported as a hip injury, but that’s how they do things.”
The Tampa Bay “problem” Talib was referring to was a torn right hip flexor, which caused him to miss the final four games of the 2010 season.
Talib missed three games in the 2013 season, and also missed the majority of the AFC Championship game against Denver when Wes Welker collided with Talib on a controversial “pick play” (a play Patriots coach Bill Belichick referred to as one of the worst plays he’s seen). Talib was initially reported to have had a rib injury during the game, but he actually suffered a knee injury.
Talib, 28, has never played a full season in his seven years in the NFL.
The accusation made by Talib is a serious one. The NFL fined both the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings $20,000 each in the 2012 season for violating the league’s policy on reporting injuries.
