Aqib Talib Unhappy With Buccaneers Top-50 Snub
September 30th, 2025
The Buccaneers officially named their top 50 players in team history this month and cornerback Aqib Talib wasn’t on the list.
He’s not happy about it.
He might have a point.
However, it seems Talib officially had no chance. Below is the selection criteria, per the Buccaneers.
Talib started 45 games for Tampa Bay. He played a lot as a rookie with four interceptions in 2008, but he only started two games in that season. He doesn’t meet the other criteria, either, though he should have.
The NFL Alumni association named Talib “Defensive Back of the Year” in the NFL for the 2010 season. Of the previous four winners of that award, three were Hall of Famers: Charles Woodson, Ed Reed and Champ Bailey.
Yeah, Talib was that good but but didn’t make the Pro Bowl as a Buccaneer. He got snubbed in that 2010 season.
Hall of Fame Bucs cornerback Rondé Barber, Talib’s teammate for years, said in 2011 that Talib is the best lockdown cornerback in Bucs history.
“… You don’t ever want to play a season or even a game without that guy. He’s that good. He changes things. He takes [receivers] away and we’ve never had that in Tampa,” Barber said.
Speaking on The Arena YouTube channel yesterday, Talib shared his thoughts.
“They left me off that top-50. They tripped out,” he said.
Six-time Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was is in lockstep with his former teammate. “Yeah, Bucs, y’all buggin’ for that,” McCoy said.
Talib has no ill will for Tampa Bay. “I don’t hate the Bucs. They made me a millionaire. How can I hate you if you made me a millionaire?”
For the record, Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman ranked Talib as the 47th “most notable” Buccaneer.
September 30th, 2025 at 9:54 am
The Cooter family barely remembers Talib, Mrs. Cooter tells me a story of when she shared a cab with him many years before we met and he was violent, Mrs Cooter has no respect for Mr Talib and believes he was an awful player as well
September 30th, 2025 at 10:05 am
Didn’t he get suspended for taking adderall his last year here? Maybe he’ll get some love from the Pats, but the top 50 list was fine w/o him
September 30th, 2025 at 10:10 am
Ira’s ranking is more important. No politics.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:10 am
No way Licht would draft him….Talib not top 50
September 30th, 2025 at 10:15 am
i’d put aaron stecker on the list before talib lol
GO BUCS!!!!
September 30th, 2025 at 10:27 am
This organization is all about class which Talib has none. He assaulted a cab driver and was involved in a domestic shooting while he was a Buc. Talent wise sure he’s a top 50 guy, as a person he was not.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:32 am
In one on one coverage he might have been better than Barber. He didn’t have the career Barber had, but when sit in the cheap seats you can see the passing game really well. Teams absolutely threw away from him. Belicheat knew how good he was.
He was kind of a jerk IIRC – but hard to believe there were 50 better players than him.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:32 am
If they release a Top 50 criminal list, he will be at the top of the list!
September 30th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Talib is borderline. The only person left off that list that I think should be on there is Jameis Winston. He meets all of the criteria. He played more than 50 games, he’s in the top 5 in a few categories, he made a pro bowl, and as far as iconic moments….well….there’s definitely a few that come to mind.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:45 am
D-Rome spot on with that one
September 30th, 2025 at 10:55 am
Someone has to be 51.
September 30th, 2025 at 10:58 am
Aqib was young and immature during his time here, but he had talent on the field. Like Ronde said, he shut down the opposing WR’s and we never had that in Tampa. He’s one of my favorites and if you know Buccaneers ball, you will agree he belonged in the top 50.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:07 am
The Cooter family is amazed that this many people do not work
September 30th, 2025 at 11:11 am
Send him a participation trophy!
September 30th, 2025 at 11:15 am
UGotRobbed
The post with the prize!
September 30th, 2025 at 11:18 am
It’s true he did not help us win Superbowls or divisions titles, but in his short 4 years with the team he was a Top 5 cornerback for the team, he was most definitely a top 50 member of the team.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:19 am
Aqib should read the story on Chris Godwin (two posts earlier) and then post his apology for being a jerk.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:25 am
Maybe they surveyed taxi drivers?
September 30th, 2025 at 11:33 am
He wasn’t that good as a Buccaneer. If it was all time BUCS for their whole career, then Brady would be #1. Sorry not sorry your butt-hurt about it.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:33 am
Guy was a clown in tampa. He grew up and that’s awesome but didn’t help us. He biggest contribution to the bucs was the 4th round pick we got for him and turned into W Gholston… Thanks Talib
September 30th, 2025 at 11:36 am
sorry aqib i have you as number 51 as well.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:50 am
Donnie Abraham was our best pure cover corner ever. Barber was simply the best CB to ever play NFL football. Talib was our best partying CB ever.
September 30th, 2025 at 11:51 am
I have no affection for hiim ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
September 30th, 2025 at 12:57 pm
Jameis Winston was a colorful character. But he’s a loser in the NFL, due to the never corrected turnover addiction. Leading the team/league in turnovers and points given to the opponent is not a category deserving of top 50 anything, except if you’re listing top 50 liabilities. Please.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:04 pm
He would make the Bucs’ top 50 list of malcontents.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:26 pm
Definitely deserves a top Bucs 50 spot. IDC if he wasn’t the nicest if u want the nicest u can have jameis n McCoy as leaders. McCoy who helped up QBs n let rbs run by him. Lackluster as a leader. U can have jameis who threw picks. Needed corrective eye surgery but went on 2 throw 30 pics n made us Buc fans feel like fools 4 cheering 4 him. “Eating a W” and his other antics had the effect of that CB from Florida Gators. Celebrating overthrows whilst being 5 yards behind his coverage responsibilities. C davis Bunting Dean were good when we needed them. They got us a 2nd Superbowl. I’m grateful they dug in in the playoffs. How we shut down teams because we switched our scheme. Teams thought they were getting the 5-8 yards off the line defense. And i get that we need 2 play at the line but I don’t think our CBS can keep up given the onfield heat n humidity 4 a full game n a full season. Where teams can run their lesser talented wrs on streaks then replace them with their stars 2 cut them up on slants screens n other short routes.
September 30th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Talib was talented – but as a Buccaneer he was also trouble….
2008 – Fights with teammate at rookie symposium – also reported to have missed several team meetings during OTAs and TC his rookie year….
2009 – Fights with Donald Penn in spring practice – swings helmet and hits Torrie Cox in the face resulting in his own teammate receiving multiple stitches.
2009 – Arrested for assault – punching a cab driver in the face
2010 – Tries to fight with a referee post-game outside the locker room during a fierce argument about a call he didn’t like. Had to be restrained by teammates who kept him out of much deeper trouble.
2011 – Arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – for firing multiple shots at his sister’s boyfriend.
2012 – Suspended 4 games by NFL – testing positive for ‘performance enhancing substances’.
Talib was obviously on a ‘one strike and you’re out’ footing with new Bucs coach Greg Schiano – who quickly thereafter traded Aquib to New England for a 4th round draft pick.
Belichick’s ‘The Patriot way’ and Tom Brady’s influence must have been the exact change of scenery that Talib needed as from that point on – he mostly managed to keep his nose clean and stay out of trouble – earning 5 straight Pro Bowl designations from ‘2013>2017 and 2 All Pro honors. Talib was a key component in the ferocious 2015 Broncos defense that won Super Bowl 50 and sent Peyton Manning riding off into the sunset with a 2nd Super Bowl win on his resume….
Fun fact – the 4th round draft pick received by the Bucs in exchange for trading Talib was used to select DE/DT Will Gholston – who went on to play 12 seasons in Tampa Bay.
Fun Fact #2 – That selection of Gholston was one of only THREE excellent draft picks made by former rockstar wannabe GM Mark Dominik in his ENTIRE FIVE YEAR TENURE….. (other 2 of course being McCoy and #54 David)
September 30th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
NO WAY
He was trainwreck. Monumental a-hole. Shot himself in the foot. Beat up a cab driver. Brandished a gun. We let him go because he was cancer.
September 30th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
…..as he continually bashes and denigrates the Bucs each week. He reminds me of a Shady McCoy lite
September 30th, 2025 at 8:34 pm
He definitely is not a buccaneer top 50 player. After he left, he became very good, but when he was here, he was good but he wasn’t here for long.
October 1st, 2025 at 2:51 am
Donnie Abraham, Brian Kelly, and Ronde Barber were all WAY better players then he was and they were better people as well. Talib embarrassed himself and the Bucs organization by his behavior and I still haven’t forgotten about that incident back in the day.
October 1st, 2025 at 6:56 am
LOL I would love to tell him that Character counts here in Tampa these days. Go and practice your victim face somehere else because you were not good enough here bro. Aside from being a thug.
Go Bucs!
October 1st, 2025 at 8:22 am
absolutely a snub. though he had to take adderall to get those synapses firing quick enough to shadow receivers here… i wonder if he found a way to take it legally or just got better with age
October 1st, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Talib is a punk and a thug. He should be left of ANY list of notable Bucs (unless it’s a list of biggest punks to ever be a Buc).
October 1st, 2025 at 2:16 pm
What a loser. Screw him and the whatever the loudmouth idiot rode in on.