Around January 1, 2019
Go-kart track meeting and handshake (reported reconciliation)
Aqib Talib said he and Michael Crabtree "squashed" their beef after an off-field meeting at a go-kart track; Talib described stepping outside, exchanging words, and shaking hands to end the personal dispute [18].
Quick Facts
What Happened
In a November 2021 appearance on Bleacher Report's 'Untold Stories' (summarized in a later article), Aqib Talib described an off-field reconciliation: while with family at a go-kart track he and Michael Crabtree unexpectedly crossed paths. According to Talib, they spoke privately, Talib apologized or explained his perspective, and both men shook hands, effectively ending the personal part of their rivalry. Talib framed the meeting as informal and immediate — not a mediated reconciliation — and said the interaction removed lingering personal animus. This account is sourced to Talib's own retrospective remarks and has not been published as a joint statement from Crabtree [18].
Key Quotes
“they later 'squashed' the beef after meeting at a go-kart track”
Why It Matters
This incident is important because it documents, from Talib's perspective, a private resolution to a public, physical feud that had resulted in ejections and NFL discipline in 2017. The handshake suggests the dispute migrated from public spectacle back to a private, interpersonal resolution; it provides closure to the personal storyline that had overshadowed individual Broncos–Raiders matchups in 2017 and explains why neither player re-engaged publicly in similar incidents after 2017 [18].
Aftermath
Following Talib's account of the go-kart meeting there have been no widely reported, subsequent on-field confrontations between the two that matched the severity of the Nov. 26, 2017 brawl. The NFL discipline from 2017 remained a documented chapter of their feud, but Talib's reconciliation claim indicates the personal element was later resolved, at least according to his account [3][18].
Sources
- Aqib Talib, Michael Crabtree ejected after punches, shoves turn into sideline brawl - ESPN (November 26, 2017)
- Aqib Talib, Michael Crabtree ejected following skirmish - NFL.com (November 26, 2017)
- Michael Crabtree, Aqib Talib each suspended two games without pay for fighting - CBS Sports (November 28, 2017)
- 77: Denver, The Broncos, and a Coming of Age (book page) - Simon & Schuster / Terry Frei (book) (November 28, 2007)
- Raiders Trounce Broncos, 24-14 (1977 game report) - The Washington Post (October 31, 1977)
- NFL's Best Conference Championship Games (including Jan 1, 1978 Broncos 20, Raiders 17) - Sports Illustrated (January 15, 2015)
- Raiders Dismantle Broncos 59-14 (team recap) - Raiders.com (official team site) (October 24, 2010)
- Raiders 59, Broncos 14 (Game recap) - ESPN (October 24, 2010)
- Raiders set team scoring mark, rout Broncos 59-14 - Colorado Springs Gazette (October 24, 2010)
- The 10 Most Memorable Moments in the Raiders–Broncos Rivalry - Bleacher Report (September 24, 2009)
- Broncos defeat Raiders and retake top seed in AFC (MileHighReport, Dec 7, 2025) - MileHighReport (December 7, 2025)
- Winners and Losers from the Broncos 24-17 victory over the Raiders (Dec 7, 2025) - MileHighReport (December 7, 2025)