In the 30 days leading up to the start of Denver Broncos Training Camp 2016, we’re examining 30 big questions for the season. We’ll make a case for each answer; you’ll vote and tell Broncos Country what’s going to happen this year.
On June 5, 2016, Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was shot in the leg in Dallas, Texas. Fortunately for Talib, he was released from the hospital the following day without surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
Talib didn’t participate in the remainder of the Broncos OTAs following the incident, but even when Talib is completely healthy it’s possible that he will miss games after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is finished looking into the case.
The details on the case are still murky. Talib reportedly admitted to friends and family to having shot himself in the leg. According to Talib, he was “too intoxicated” to remember what exactly happened. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com recently got ahold of the incident report filed with the Dallas Police Department. As Rapoport reported, there is no mention of Talib shooting himself or being in possession of a gun. But Talib had also told police he was at a Dallas-area park when the incident occurred. A police report later listed the scene of the incident as a Dallas adult entertainment club.
The NFL doesn’t take this stuff lightly. In a Facebook post published on June 7, Adam Schefter of ESPN said that the NFL was actively looking into the incident.
“One league source said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doesn’t like guns, he doesn’t like guns in the hands of intoxicated players, and he especially doesn’t like guns in the hands of intoxicated players who have a history with guns like Talib has,” Schefter wrote.
The incident caused some major negative PR for the Broncos and league, especially having occurred in the wake of the Plaxico Burress self-shooting incident a few years ago. Depending on what happens on the legal side of things, Talib’s season could go a few different ways.
Scenario 1: If Talib is found to be in the wrong in this particular incident, Goodell could drop the hammer on him. Given Talib’s history, Goodell suspends him for half a season or more to teach him a lesson and send a message throughout the league that gun-related incidents will not be tolerated.
Scenario 2: If Talib is found guilty for only part of the incident and winds up either paying a fine or doing nominal jail time, Goodell may go a little easier on his suspension and he only ends up missing five to seven games of the 2016 season.
Scenario 3: Talib could be absolved of any criminal charges but still have to atone for his bad decisions in the form of a shorter suspension. Especially if it’s proven that the gunshot wound was not self-inflicted, Goodell might feel sorry for Talib, feeling like the injury was a big enough punishment as is and takes it easy on him by only suspending him for two to four games.
Scenario 4: If it turns out that Talib was not in the possession of a firearm while intoxicated and was actually the victim of the shooting, there isn’t really a ground for Goodell to suspend him on because getting shot is not a crime. Goodell suspends him one game just to prove a point or doesn’t suspend him at all. In another way this scenario could play out, Dallas PD takes forever to levy any charges, the NFL waits to investigate until the criminal proceedings are done and Talib plays every game of the 2016 season under a black cloud, waiting for the hammer to drop in 2017.
Also worth considering: Don’t forget that Talib as suspended for a game last season after poking Colts tight end Dwayne Allen in the eye in an on-field incident. Also, the NFL has just instituted a ‘two strike’ rule on unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Any player who receives two such penalties in a game would be immediately ejected from the game (and possibly subject to additional discipline). Had the rule been in place last year, Talib would have been ejected from Super Bowl 50. Given Talib’s history, the gunshot incident might not be the only thing that causes him to miss time this season.
What does Broncos Country think? How many games will Aqib Talib miss due to suspension?
30 QUESTIONS: How many games will Aqib Talib miss this season due to suspension?
— Mile High Sports (@MileHighSports) July 7, 2016
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