Getty Aqib Talib jogs off the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum field in a 2019 victory over the New Orleans Saints, which occurred in his final season with the Rams.
Aqib Talib played in his final Super Bowl in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams. Does it mean Talib left L.A. on good terms?
He may have his big game appearance with the Rams, but he also remembers the falling out.
In the past two months, he’s opened up about his final days as a Ram on his “Catchin’ Fades” podcast: First to former teammate turned Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters on May 4 and then revealed added details to the man who would go on to replace both corners, Jalen Ramsey, on the Tuesday edition of the show.
One thing in common on both podcast shows with the cornerbacks: Talib detailed a ribs injury that helped lead to his departure from the Rams.
Heated Conversation with Sean McVay
Talib had injured two ribs prior to the Rams’ week six contest in 2019. The Rams, at that time, went from a 3-0 start to surrendering 55 and 30 points in back-to-back losses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.
But then along came a heated conversation he shared with Peters about the exchange he had with head coach Sean McVay about facing the possibility of going on injured reserve.
“To me, I was hot because I went in the Monday before I went and I broke my ribs in the game Week five,” Talib recalled to Peters. “So I slide in there and they’re like, ‘We’re gonna let Troy [Hill] play.’ I ain’t never heard no s*** like that.”
Talib further detailed the conversation to Ramsey on the latest podcast, saying he tried to avoid having a worsened meltdown with his former head coach.
“I’m like ‘Hold on, you’re going to put me on IR with two broken ribs? I’ve been playing with all this other s*** and y’all going to put me on IR? It was just weird, the vibes,” Talib said to Ramsey. “I was like ‘Sean, I ain’t going to argue with you bro. This your team. Do what you want. But if you put me on IR, I ain’t going to be at work everyday, I’m going to be at home everyday. So that was one situation.”
Making Way for Ramsey
But then came the next domino: The Rams trading away Peters, which stunned Talib.
“Then, I see M.P. gone next. And I’m like ‘Damn!'” Talib said in his conversation with Ramsey. “They putting the whole three losses on us?'”
Sitting at 3-3, plus hearing how Ramsey wanted out of Jacksonville after his own turbulent relationship with Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell and executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin, the Rams intervened and cleared room for Ramsey to accomplish their trade.
“Then, boom! Jalen coming!” Talib said laughing during his conversation with Ramsey.
The Rams surrendered two future first rounders and a fourth rounder to lure Ramsey to L.A. Talib even jokingly told Ramsey “2019, you come and take my job” to which both men shared laughs.
But Talib points to a lack of communication between he and the Rams about Ramsey coming on board, saying “I’ll always feel some type of way about Sean.”
Is there still animosity between Talib and McVay?
“I mean, we’re cool now,” Talib said. “But I didn’t like how he handled it. You’re sneaking around like that. Just tell us.”
More on Talib’s conversation with Ramsey can be seen below.