Brandon Marshall: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation on WR’s Future with Bears
Published by Adam Wells on February 11, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Brandon Marshall‘s future in the NFL isn’t in doubt, but his short-term outlook with the Chicago Bears isn’t as clear as it might seem.
Continue for updates.
Cole Weighs In On Marshall’s Future
Thursday, Feb. 12
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported on what he was hearing regarding Marshall’s future in Chicago:
Marshall Given No Guarantees About 2015 Status With Bears
Wednesday, Feb. 11
According to Rich Campbell of The Chicago Tribune, Marshall’s meeting with new Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox didn’t give him any guarantees:
Despite that cloud of uncertainty, Marshall did say his talks with the new bosses in Chicago have been good, via Campbell:
Per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Marshall also acknowledged that he realizes the way the NFL operates even though he wants to stay with the Bears:
The 30-year-old Marshall has been the source of much speculation so far this offseason. He’s signed through 2017 with a cap hit of $9.575 million next season, per Spotrac, and is coming off his worst season—61 catches for 721 yards—since his rookie campaign.
Also, Don Banks of Sports Illustrated recently wrote that Marshall may be wearing out his welcome in Chicago:
Last season, Marshall angered some in the organization with his post-game outbursts against teammates, his weekly trip to New York for the taping of Showtime’s ‘Inside the NFL,’ his occasional dust-ups on Twitter, and his propensity to display a me-first attitude. In other words, he was a lot closer to the diva receiver stereotype than he had been in his first two seasons as a Bear.
Banks also noted that the new regime in Chicago has no ties to Marshall, so Pace and Fox could decide to try addition by subtraction with the star wideout.
Marshall does have a long relationship with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, dating back to their days in Denver, though it’s not clear if that bond is still strong after Cutler’s struggles on the field last year. The Bears have a lot of work to do if they want to be playoff contenders, and the new staff is going to look at all the ways to make it happen.
There’s no doubt Marshall, even as he gets older, is still an immensely talented player. In a down season, he still had eight touchdown catches. His large stature makes him a matchup nightmare in the red zone, so finding work in 2015 won’t be a problem if the Bears decide to move on.
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