As pointed out in the Monday morning one-liners, the Bucs are happy about the decision of Commissioner Roger Goodell not to suspend cornerback Aqib Talib, who has been indicted on charges of aggravated assault in Texas.
Talib understandably is also pleased.
“It was a great decision, man. I respect the Commisioner’s decision and just focus on Sept. 11,” Talib said after the team’s recent preseason game, via JoeBucsFan.com. “Happy it’s over with. A big burden off my shoulders, man, and I’m ready to get it in on that level.
“It was something I had to go through. Something I had to do. And it turned out good, man, so it’s kind of behind me now. I had no idea how it was going to go. I felt like the meeting went good. I’m just happy with the decision.
“It went down where [I gave] the Commissioner the rundown on what really happened and everything and my lawyer did a good job giving him information he really didn’t know about. I think it was a good meeting and we definitely respect the Commissioner’s decision.”
Fine, but the incident isn’t really behind Talib until the charges in Texas are resolved. He’s accused of pistol-whipping and then firing shots at his sister’s boyfriend. If Talib ultimately lands behind bars, he’ll necessarily be suspended. The bigger question is whether Talib would face punishment from the league office if he’s convicted but not jailed.
I’ll have some more thoughts on this -- and the Kenny Britt non-suspension -- during today’s edition of PFT Live. You may call that a tease. I prefer to think of it as me being too lazy to type any more about it right now.