When the topic of the best cornerback duo in the National Football League comes up in discussion, it’s impossible to leave out the Denver Broncos’ Chris Harris and Aqib Talib.
As Harris enters his seventh season in the NFL, he is building quite the resume: Three Pro Bowl nominations, a pair of second-team All-Pro honors and a first-team All-Pro designation last season. However, the guy playing opposite him, now entering his 10th season, is starting to think about football immortality.
“You don’t think Hall of Fame until you get to like year nine or year 10 and then you compare your numbers to the other guys and you see you’re on the right path,” Talib said after Saturday’s training camp practice.
Talib has cemented himself as a top corner in the NFL since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft.
In his nine seasons in the NFL, Talib has intercepted 33 passes, returned nine for touchdowns and defended 110 passes. He’s been voted to four Pro Bowls, named a second-and first-team All-Pro and was an integral part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 championship in 2015.
His nine interceptions returned for touchdowns place him in a four-way tie with Deion Sanders, Ken Houston and Aeneas Williams, all of whom are Hall of Famers. Talib is one pick-six away from claiming third place to himself and three behind Rod Woodson, the all-time leader with 12.
Talib has built the foundation for a solid Hall of Fame case, but he knows that he has to keep it up to be a serious candidate.
“All of those guys played 14-15 years plus,” Talib said. “I feel like I’m on the right path so now I have to just finish; I have to finish out my career strong and maybe I’ll have a chance.”
He’s given himself a pretty good chance thus far.
Talib Career Stats/Honors vs. Career INT-TD Leaders
| Name | Seasons | Career INT | Career INT-TD | Pro Bowls | Second-Team All-Pro | First-Team All-Pro |
| Rod Woodson | 17 | 71 | 12 | 11 | 2 | 6 |
| Darren Sharper | 14 | 63 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Charles Woodson | 18 | 65 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 4 |
| Ken Houston | 14 | 49 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| Deion Sanders | 14 | 53 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Aqib Talib* | 9 | 33 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Aeneas Williams | 14 | 55 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 4 |
*Active
