Brandon Marshall accepts his role with the Giants.
In fact, the veteran is more than OK with not being the feature receiver for the first time since 2006 when he was a rookie with the Broncos.
“They were clear with me we have a No. 1 receiver that’s not even in his prime yet, and that we also have a freakin’ stud in Sterling Shepard, so there’s only one ball,’’ Marshall told The New York Post. “I want this to be my most efficient year. It may not be my best statistically, but when it comes to the standpoint of efficiency, I really want to dominate in that category.’’
Marshall, 33, had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2015 with the Jets and has 1,000-yard seasons in eight of the past 10 years. He doesn’t expect a repeat of 2015 after signing a two-year, $11 million deal with the Giants, but padding his career statistics isn’t why Marshall picked the Giants.
“I know I could have gone to another team and caught 100-something balls and put up 1,500, 1,600 yards, but that’s not the mission right now,’’ Marshall told The Post. “That’s not the goal. My goal is to touch that Lombardi Trophy. Sometimes you got to sacrifice. There’s gonna be times where I may think I’m open or may be open and not get the ball, and it might hurt. I understand I’m in a great place, and the only thing that matters is bringing home that trophy.’’
Marshall praised Eli Manning. He texted his new quarterback in the past few days, requesting a FaceTime session to review what he learned in the offseason program.
“That’s one of the reasons we have a great opportunity, because everyone knows where they’re supposed to be and knows where the ball’s gonna be and when it’s coming,’’ Marshall told The Post. “That’s something I never had to deal with my entire career. I never had a quarterback be so precise with his preparation and also just ball placement and getting the ball out quick. That’s been the biggest adjustment for me.’’