Brandon Marshall is easy to spot on the Jets’ practice field.
Even on a field of nearly 90 professional football players, the sight of a 6-foot-4, 230-pound man running, cutting and jumping the way he does stands out. The Jets traded for Marshall in March hoping that combination of size, speed and athleticism could jump-start an offense that has been dormant in recent years.
Marshall said he believes he is ready for the challenge.
“I really feel like I’m better now than I’ve ever been,” Marshall said Wednesday. “There’s the physical part, feeling healthy. … Now I’m starting to see the game differently being older and having a lot of experience. Having all of that working for me and going against those guys every single day, I’m excited about doing my job this year.”
Marshall battled injuries last season with the Bears. He had a sprained ankle, broken ribs and a collapsed lung that all cost him time. He missed three games and finished with 721 receiving yards on 61 catches, both his lowest totals since his rookie season.
There also were reports of problems in the locker room in Chicago, with Marshall reportedly calling out teammates after a tough loss. The Bears dumped him in March for fifth-round pick from the Jets. They also sent a seventh-rounder to New York. Marshall was asked if he feels like he has something to prove.
“I’m always trying to prove something,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m playing ping-pong or if I’m in the fourth quarter with 10 seconds to go and we need a score. I’m always competitive and very passionate about whatever I’m doing, whether that’s football or running my foundation. It doesn’t matter if I was a guy that won a championship last year, my approach never changes. I just love the game.”
The Jets hope he can be the kind of target Geno Smith has lacked in his first two seasons. With Marshall and Eric Decker, the Jets have their best wide receiving duo since Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes in 2010.
Marshall cautioned against too much optimism, though, since the team is learning the system of new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
“This is a first-year offense,” he said. “If you guys are expecting me to be a [1,500]-yard receiver, that’s high expectations. If you’re expecting Geno Smith to go out there and crush it, I don’t know how possible that is. It’s a first-year offense with new guys, new faces. We’re behind the eight ball. We have to put in extra work to catch up to those guys that have been together five, six, seven years.”
To help accelerate the chemistry between he and Smith, Marshall moved in with Smith in New Jersey. The two have been living together for the past month. Marshall said he and Smith first met a few years ago and they bonded. The duo got together in South Florida shortly after the trade in March to work out.
“I was just blown away by his maturity and how much he knows,” Marshall said. “This kid is really smart. The sky is the limit for him.”
The Jets are Marshall’s fourth team, and he is running out of shots at a championship at 31 years old. Marshall has appeared in more games (136) than any other active player who has not played a postseason game, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Marshall, who has a $7.5 million salary this year, said he has made enough money in his career. All he cares about now is winning.
“It’s been about winning since I got to Chicago [in 2012],” Marshall said. “We didn’t accomplish that, so it’s about making the guys around us better, whether that’s my day on any given day or it’s Geno’s or it’s Decker’s. That’s what it’s about, making each other better and having fun doing it.”