Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is standing up for his new No. 1 receiver, Brandon Marshall, saying that he knows from their time together in Denver that Marshall is a good man.
“I know he has a checkered past, and Brandon is the first one to stand up and admit to that,” Cutler said on WMVP-AM 1000, via the Daily Chronicle. “But I know deep down he’s a good guy. He made some mistakes, but going forward, I see nothing but bright things for the guy.”
If the latest allegations are true, Marshall has a checkered present, not only a checkered past. Marshall stands accused of punching a woman at a nightclub over the weekend, an incident that may have been the last straw for him in Miami and the reason the Dolphins traded him. Cutler said he talked to Marshall and hopes Bears fans will wait until all the facts come out about the most recent case.
“I talked to Brandon [on Tuesday], and I think he was bummed about it, the perception and everything, of him getting to Chicago and that [controversy] being over his head,” Cutler said. “Let’s not judge him quite yet.”
Cutler says he lobbied the Bears to acquire Marshall, and Cutler knows he’s putting his own reputation on the line in vouching for his buddy. That’s not surprising, because if Marshall plays like the All-Pro receiver he’s capable of being, Cutler will be one of the beneficiaries. But if Marshall’s off-field issues continue to plague him in Chicago, Cutler vouching for him as a good guy will look dumb.