The NFL offseason was close to playing out in an entirely different manner.
Much of the league’s hot stove action was dictated by the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. When the Broncos poached cornerback Aqib Talib from the Patriots via free agency, New England shot back by signing Darrelle Revis.
However, Talib says it almost didn’t happen like that. He almost re-signed with the Patriots.
“I definitely came close, man,” Talib told the Boston Herald on Thursday. “It was a negotiation, and it came down to the language of the contracts. I just went with what I feel was best with me and my family. I can’t remember the logistics and everything. It wasn’t bad at all. The offer wasn’t bad. It was just the language of the offer, how the payout comes. It was some language that I wasn’t trying to hear.
“Me and my agent went with what we thought was best for us and my family.”
The Talib camp eventually settled on six-year contract worth $57 million with the Broncos.
Talib, whom the Patriots acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the 2012 trade deadline, will return to Foxboro as a Bronco for the first time Sunday. He’ll do so without any hard feelings.
“When I got traded, I kind of was mad and sad at first. But at the same time, I knew I was getting a chance to play with a great organization in New England,” Talib told the Herald. “And once I got there, the locker room was sound. It was a tight locker room, a group of good guys. I just relished the opportunity to get a chance to go compete on all those TV games. It’s like a stage. You get Monday night after Sunday night, playoffs, so it was just a great opportunity with a great organization.”
Now Talib is pumped for the chance to return and play in another must-see game.
“It’s exciting to get a chance to go back there and play against a lot of good friends in that great atmosphere. It will be fun. It will be a lot of fun.”
Photo via Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports Images
