With the Jets moving on from 11-year veteran receiver Brandon Marshall, he’ll be a free agent for the first time in his career. So what will his next move be?
Per a league source, Marshall hopes to sign with a contending team that has a solid quarterback.
Quarterback play has been an issue for Marshall in multiple cities, but he has still generated eight 1,000-yard seasons and two in excess of 1,500 yards. Overall, Marshall ranks 24th in NFL history in receiving yards; with 12,061, Marshall has more than Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.
But Marshall has never played in a playoff game. By hoping to play for a contender with a good quarterback, Marshall would have a great chance to finally get to the postseason. Before penciling him on to the Patriots roster, remember that he downplayed the possibility of heading to New England in December.
Making the Patriots less attractive would be the speed with which coach Bill Belichick would slam the door on Tuesday trips to New York for appearances on Inside the NFL. Marshall’s burgeoning media career likely is a factor in his decision-making process, which would make staying in New York and playing for the Giants attractive.
Other intriguing possibilities (and I’m just spitballing here) would be the Steelers (Marshall grew up in Pittsburgh), the Ravens (New York is a two-and-a-half hour train ride from Baltimore and they could use a veteran presence after the retirement of Steve Smith), the Eagles (Philly is even closer to New York and the Eagles desperately need receivers), and the Buccaneers (Marshall played college football at Central Florida).