Last offseason, Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg. This season, especially since it recently came down he will not be disciplined for the incident, he is happy that he can just focus on football.
“It’s definitely a relief,” Talib said on Tuesday. “I’m just glad I can put it behind me and move on to the season, and worry about what I need to be worried about.”
Now, Talib is worried about getting back into the postseason. Last offseason, the Broncos were coming down off of a Super Bowl win. In a sense, they lost a little something that earned them a Lombardi Trophy. So far, Talib feels as if they have gotten that back.
“Our urgency is there,” he said. “In all honesty, I don’t think our urgency was there last year.”
For Talib, it wasn’t all bad however. He was able to earn a first-team All-Pro designation; as was his counterpart Chris Harris Jr. That was most certainly an objective for both starting corners in the No Fly Zone.
“We talked about it before the season, we talked about it during the season and of course we talked about it after the season,” Talib said. “It was a goal that both of us had going into the year, and it’s always great when you can accomplish your goal.”
Still, while individual accolades are nice, football is a team game. The ultimate goal is to win world championships. The Broncos will look to get back on top next season, but they will be doing so without DeMarcus Ware. Talib doesn’t feel there is any additional pressure to step up as a leader.
“D-Ware was one of our main leaders in the locker room,” he said. “He’s gone so, I wouldn’t say pressure but it’s definitely my job. That’s my role. I take on that role anyway.”