The criminal case against Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib has been dismissed by prosecutors in Texas, but his fate remains unclear with the NFL.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday that the league office plans to review the case. According to Talib's lawyer, the NFL requested a copy of the dismissal order, which is on file with the criminal district court.
Talib was facing 20 years in prison on charges of assault with a deadly weapon. He had been accused of firing a gun at his sister's boyfriend during a dispute last March.
The NFL's personal-conduct penalty is far-reaching, and allows the league to discipline a player even when no criminal charges are filed.
The obvious precedent here is what happened to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was suspended the first six games of the 2010 season after he was accused -- but not charged -- with sexual assault stemming from an incident at a Georgia bar. The ban was later reduced to four games.
Talib met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about the shooting incident last August. He was suspended one game in 2010 after he was accused of assaulting a St. Petersburg cab driver.
