Marshall finds a landing spot
He has embraced the spotlight in the twilight, moving like a much younger man and leading like a much older one. There are no discernible flecks of grey in his hair, but he has experienced a lifetime’s worth of good, bad and ugly in 31 years.
Brandon Marshall navigated through it all. He’s happy and at peace. He’s found his final professional resting place. The Jets are his last NFL stop. Television, his Project 375 foundation and new business ventures await when his football life ends.
“Once the Jets say, ‘We don’t need you anymore,’ I’m going to venture off into that world,” Marshall told the Daily News. “I’m not playing for another team. Four is all I need. It’s too hard to make new friends and relationships and deal with different egos. I don’t like the business already. So I’m not trying to deal with that.”
The hype of the Jets-Giants game Sunday has centered on burgeoning superstar Odell Beckham Jr., but the old receiver wearing green and white isn’t too shabby, either. There was a time when Marshall was arguably the best at his position.
He’s still a matchup nightmare and pain in the posterior who prompted Bill Belichick to double team him on virtually every play earlier this season. He commands what every difference maker does: respect.
“If I’m going out there and teams aren’t doubling me to try to take me out, then I feel like I’m not doing something right,” Marshall said. “This year they’re still doubling me and game-planning for me, so I’m still a factor. That’s respect.”
Marshall, who is among the league leaders in receptions (72), yards (931) and touchdowns (nine) through 11 games, has been the Jets’ most consistent and explosive play maker.
How can a 31-year-old be better than his 25-year-old self?
“I’m smarter,” Marshall said. “And I’m still in tip-top shape.”
Marshall, whose seven-year stretch of at least 1,000 yards was snapped after an injury plagued 2014, has topped 100 yards six times and scored in four consecutive games entering a critical weekend for the 6-5 Jets. He’s on pace to break the single-season franchise record for receptions and finish second in single-season receiving yardage.
“My game is not built on speed,” said Marshall, who’s under contract through 2017. “For me, it’s what I was born with: my size, my strength. My separation is an inch. It’s being able to use my leverage to get open. That’s all I need. So I can play as long as I want. ... This will be my last team. So whether that’s another year or if they keep me another five or six, I’ll be in shape to do it.”
General manager Mike Maccagnan made several smart moves in the offseason, but trading a fifth-round pick to the Bears for Marshall and a seventh-rounder might have been the biggest coup of them all. Chicago was looking to move Marshall. From Jets coaches to front office personnel, Marshall had no shortage of people willing to stand on the table for him. It has turned out to be a master stroke.
Marshall helped transform the locker room culture and product on the field. He has counseled younger players and provided a calming presence. He has left his past in Denver, Miami and Chicago, where it should be left.
“He has a leadership role,” rookie receiver Devin Smith said. “His voice is listened to first. ... Everything that he’s been telling me has been positive.”
He’s also defying Father Time on Sundays. Marshall, Beckham and Texans star DeAndre Hopkins lead all receivers in touchdowns.
Marshall is on pace for 103 receptions, 1,354 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns. His stats are on par with Beckham’s (72 catches, 1,005 yards). At a time when explosive young receivers dot the NFL landscape, Marshall deserves to earn a trip to his sixth Pro Bowl.
“I don’t think the league has ever seen so many great receivers at once,” Marshall said. “Our league is flooded with them. And I don’t use that word elite lightly. It’s just amazing how many awesome receivers we have now, but for me, it’s all about production. The numbers tell interesting stories. I’ve been productive.” Marshall will be in the Hall of Fame conversation if he maintains his annual career averages for five more seasons, but he’s not overly concerned about that with five weeks left in this season. He has a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his 10year career.
“I just want to be a part of something special,” Marshall said. “I want to win.”
He wants to make the biggest difference in the twilight.