ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Star cornerback Aqib Talib was released from a Dallas hospital on Monday amid reports suggesting he may have accidentally shot himself.
Talib was discharged from Medical City Hospital after being treated for a gunshot wound to his right leg. He was returning to Denver after missing his teammates’ visit to the White House on Monday to commemorate their win in Super Bowl 50.
Although he didn’t require surgery and the Broncos believe he will make a full recovery, it’s unlikely Talib will practice again until training camp. The team’s mandatory minicamp starts Tuesday and the final slate of off-season practices is next week.
While police continue to investigate the shooting and have made no arrests in the case, KUSA-TV in Denver reported Monday that Talib has told people close to him he accidentally shot himself.
That harkens to the case of former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, who accidentally shot himself in the right thigh at a New York nightclub shortly after he won the Super Bowl. He served 20 months in prison on a gun charge.
Talib told police he had been hanging out at a park with friends when he was shot early Sunday morning. But detectives are looking into whether Talib was actually shot at the Vlive nightclub where two other people were shot by an unknown suspect in a disturbance about the same time.
WFAA-TV in Dallas said Talib told police he was too intoxicated to remember exactly what happened when he got shot.
The bullet entered his right thigh and exited his right calf, according to the police report. Such a trajectory might suggest a self-inflicted wound.
Talib is coming off his third consecutive Pro Bowl season, one in which broke up 13 passes and intercepted three, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Last week, Talib said he had purchased a custom-made suit to meet President Barack Obama. Instead, he spent the day facing more medical treatment and lingering questions about how he got shot.
"I talked to Aqib at length yesterday and again this morning," coach Gary Kubiak said Monday after the president honoured the team in a Rose Garden ceremony. "The most important thing is he’s OK. And our steps right now are to get him back to Denver hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday to get him headed in the right direction."
