Veteran cornerback Aqib Talib has popped up here and there around the Rams' practice facility in Thousand Oaks, Calif. since he injured his left ankle Week 3 against the Chargers and was placed on the team's injured reserve list.
Still at least couple of weeks from his return to football, Talib spent some time answering questions on the campus of California Lutheran University before his team took off to Colorado Springs on Monday afternoon.
The All-Pro was finishing packing up his things to join the 9-1, NFC West-leading Rams on their trip to the Rocky Mountains.
"Yeah, so I can continue my treatment, get on that grass, get in that altitude, get in a little better shape, run in that altitude and stuff," Talib explained to reporters' questions about the defensive back tagging along for the then-Mexico City prep practices.
Talib once again mentioned L.A.'s Week 13 game in Detroit as his target date for getting back on the field. Until that day comes, Talib has remained active in his role as a team captain.
"I just love football, so if I see something, I'm going to tell the guys, and help out in ways that I can," Talib said.
The 11-year veteran can be seen actively supporting his teammates and defensive backs unit on the sideline on Sundays, whether it's breaking down film on a tablet, or shouting encouragement toward the field.
Talib also weighed in on cornerback Marcus Peters' season so far, with Peters' matchup against his former team just days away.
"He's good," Talib said confidently. "M.P. is good. What do they say? It's a marathon not a sprint? He is good, he's perfectly fine."
"That's just part of playing DB... I don't even know one DB who is perfect all the time — that's 'Prime,'" Talib said, referring to Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders. "That's part of playing DB, you're going to go through those stretches, but that's why we got short memories and why we play the toughest positions on the field."
Peters and his Rams will be up against one of the league's best offenses on Monday night in Los Angeles. Second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his cast of weapons in wideout Tyreek Hill, running back Kareem Hunt, and tight end Travis Kelce put up an NFL's second-best 35.3 points per game, while averaging 423.1 yards per contest — with the majority of them coming through the air.
"It was one of the games I was looking forward to on the schedule — always," Talib said. "They are a great competitive team, coach Andy Reid, he's one of the best in the 'biz', so I'm always up for a challenge. I'm definitely mad I can't play in that."
Talib is 3-4 in his career against Kansas City, and recorded 17 tackles, two passes defensed, and one interception in six games played against the Chiefs as a member of Broncos.
As for what his current teammates should expect going against the 2018 Kansas City Chiefs offense, Talib rerouted his response, putting trust in L.A.'s defensive guru, who is also familiar with trying to stop the Chiefs.
"We got coach Wade [Phillips], man — we've got the best defensive coordinator in the league, so he'll tell us what to expect. He'll get us ready."
