When the Miami Dolphins acquired cornerback Aqib Talib in a deadline trade with the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday, it was obvious the Rams were making the move as a salary dump.
As for the Dolphins? They took on Talib because Los Angeles threw a fifth-round draft pick in the deal (Miami sent a future seventh-rounder back to the Rams in return).
Talib is on the injured reserve list due to a rib injury and is a free agent at the end of the season. There is a good chance he never even plays a down for the Dolphins — or even reports to the team.
On Wednesday, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said that Talib is currently rehabbing in Los Angeles:
“He’s in a rehab program in L.A. We talked about that,” said Flores, according to Omar Kelly of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s not eligible to come back for a period of time. He’s going to rehab in L.A. for a little bit, and we’ll take it from there. That’s the conversation I had with him.”
Talib has played in five games this season, logging 14 tackles.
The 33-year-old joined the Rams in 2018 after coming over in a trade with the Denver Broncos. Injuries ravaged his first season in Los Angeles, as well. He was limited to eight contests and finished with 23 tackles and an interception before making a Super Bowl appearance.
When healthy, Talib is one of the NFL's best at the position. He made five straight Pro-Bowl appearances between 2013 and 2017.
The Dolphins are 0-7 on the season. They will take on the New York Jets on Sunday.
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