Tag: Brandon Marshall

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin jokes about switch to Russell Wilson

Mike Tomlin switched from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson this week.

It’s Monday morning and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is feeling pretty good about himself right now. Tomlin went against what was the common thought that benching Justin Fields for Russell Wilson was a huge risk with very little reward.

Fast forward to now and the Steelers blew out the New York Jets on Sunday night and after a shaky first quarter, Wilson settled in and gave the Steelers one of the best offensive performances of the season.

In his postgame press conference, Tomlin fielded a question from former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall who asked if going with Wilson will be the boldest decision he’s made. To which Tomlin quipped, “That’s why I’m well-compensated.”

We should all let Tomlin bask in this one because since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, not all of his quarterback choices have worked out so well. We all lived through the Kenny Pickett era and Mitch Trubisky so we aren’t going to give him a pass after just one game.

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Full list of 30 former Broncos nominated for 2025 Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have 30 former players nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, and Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top coach candidate.

Earlier this week, the NFL announced 19 former Denver Broncos players have been nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class as modern-era candidates.

Those 19 players join a previous list of 11 senior candidate nominees who were announced earlier this month, giving the Broncos 30 total players who have been nominated for next year’s Hall of Fame class. Here are the full lists.

Broncos modern-era HOF candidates

  1. WR Rod Smith
  2. C Tom Nalen
  3. K Jason Elam
  4. G Mark Schlereth
  5. LB Bill Romanowski
  6. DL Neil Smith
  7. WR Demaryius Thomas
  8. CB Aqib Talib
  9. WR Wes Welker
  10. RB Clinton Portis
  11. WR Brandon Marshall
  12. RB Glyn Milburn
  13. CB Dré Bly
  14. TE Vernon Davis
  15. DL Jamal Williams
  16. LB Keith Brooking
  17. RB Jamaal Charles
  18. DL Ted Washington
  19. DL Simeon Rice

Broncos senior HOF candidates

  1. LB/DL Karl Mecklenburg
  2. LB Tom Jackson
  3. DB Dennis Smith
  4. WR Lionel Taylor
  5. WR/R Rick Upchurch
  6. CB Louis Wright
  7. WR Bob Scarpitto
  8. DL Michael Dean Perry
  9. RB Sammy Winder
  10. DL Lyle Alzado
  11. DE Rich Jackson

Former Denver coach Mike Shanahan is also expected to be nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class in the coach category.

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of nominees in mid-October before announcing semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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9 former Dolphins among 167 preliminary Hall of Fame nominees for 2025

There’s a few former Dolphins hoping to become members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its preliminary list of modern-era nominees for the Class of 2025 and it includes nine former players for the Miami Dolphins.

The following former Dolphins are are among the 167 initial nominees:

  • RB Ricky Williams
  • WR Irving Fryar
  • WR Brandon Marshall
  • WR Wes Welker
  • OG Josh Sitton
  • OT Richmond Webb
  • LB Brendon Ayanbadejo
  • CB Troy Vincent
  • P Matt Turk

While every player on the list suited up for the Dolphins at some point, a few of the players on the list are much more well remembered for their contributions away from Miami.

Vincent, for instance, was a top 10 draft pick for the Dolphins, but all five of his Pro Bowl nods came during an eight-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. Sitton was a stalwart on the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line and joined the Dolphins for a grand total of one game before a rotator cuff injury eventually ended his exceedingly brief tenure in Miami.

The name that will draw much of the attention for Dolphins fans over the next few months is Webb. There’s been a groundswell of support for the seven-time Pro Bowler to get his due as one of the all-time greats.

While he has been an initial nominee several teams, Webb has failed to reach the semifinalist phase of voting. He’s down to his final three years of eligibility before it’ll be up to the senior committee to send him to Canton.

The list of 167 nominees will be trimmed to 25 semifinalists sometime this fall (likely in November) and then 15 finalists (likely in January).

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Rod Smith among 19 former Broncos nominated for Hall of Fame

Rod Smith is one of eight Broncos Super Bowl champions who have been nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced 167 modern-era finalists for the 2025 class. The list includes 19 former Denver Broncos players, including eight Super Bowl champions.

Former Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith headlines the list of players who won Super Bowls with Denver in the late 1990s. He is joined by center Tom Nalen, kicker Jason Elam, guard Mark Schlereth, linebacker Bill Romanowski and defensive lineman Neil Smith.

The Broncos also had two members of their Super Bowl 50 squad — late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and cornerback Aqib Talib — nominated for the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.

Other players nominated include running backs Clinton Portis and Glyn Milburn, receivers Wes Welker and Brandon Marshall and cornerback Dré Bly. View the full list below.

Broncos Hall of Fame nominees

  1. WR Rod Smith
  2. C Tom Nalen
  3. K Jason Elam
  4. G Mark Schlereth
  5. LB Bill Romanowski
  6. DL Neil Smith
  7. WR Demaryius Thomas
  8. CB Aqib Talib
  9. WR Wes Welker
  10. RB Clinton Portis
  11. WR Brandon Marshall
  12. RB Glyn Milburn
  13. CB Dré Bly
  14. TE Vernon Davis
  15. DL Jamal Williams
  16. LB Keith Brooking
  17. RB Jamaal Charles
  18. DL Ted Washington
  19. DL Simeon Rice

The Broncos also have 11 senior candidates for the 2025 class, and former coach Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top candidate in the coach category. Voters will trim the list down to 20 finalists with 15 modern-era candidates, three senior candidates, one coach and one contributor. The selection committee will meet before Super Bowl LVIX to elect the 2025 class.

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Keith Bishop was the best player to wear No. 54 for the Broncos

A two-time Pro Bowl, guard Keith Bishop helped the Broncos reach three Super Bowls during his 10-year career in Denver.

Keith Bishop was the best player to ever wear jersey No. 54 with the Denver Broncos.

Bishop was drafted by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL draft out of Baylor. He went on to spend 10 years in Denver, playing 129 games with 87 starts. The guard helped the Broncos reach the Super Bowl in 1986, 1987 and 1989 before hanging up his cleats.

Bishop now serves as the team’s vice president of security.

Brandon Marshall also deserves an honorable mention. After playing college football at Nevada, Marshall was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL draft. After failing to make Jacksonville’s roster in 2013, the linebacker was picked up by the Broncos.

Marshall went on to play spend seasons in Denver, playing in 69 games with 63 starts. He totaled 416 tackles, 21 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions with the Broncos. Marshall was also a 16-game starter in 2015 when Denver won Super Bowl 50.

Bishop never won a Super Bowl, but he was a two-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Broncos’ 50th Anniversary Team, so he gets the nod as the best player to ever wear No. 54 for the Broncos.

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Rome Odunze was shocked to learn the Bears receiving record

In an interview on 670 The Score, Rome Odunze learned about the Bears’ dismal receiving record and he could not believe it.

Wide receiver Rome Odunze has only been a member of the Chicago Bears for a day, but he’s already learning about the team’s history and records. It’s safe to say he wasn’t prepared for how low some of them are.

In an interview on 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel Show, Odunze learned who the team’s all-time leading receiver was and how many yards they had. The 21-year-old receiver guessed it was Brandon Marshall, who spent three years in Chicago and is No. 13 on the list. It’s safe to say he didn’t expect the answer to be Johnny Morris with 5,059 yards.

“In the career?!” Odunze exclaimed as he and the hosts laughed. He immediately took that as a challenge, though. “I hope I’ll go break that record and hopefully add a few thousand to that… 5,000 is the goal, then. Let’s get after it.”

For Bears fans, it’s no secret that the team has struggled to develop and maintain prolific wide receivers. Productive players like Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Allen Robinson were only around for a few years, and former Bears receiver Muhsin Muhammad infamously said that Chicago was where receivers go to die. Morris played in the 1950s and 1960s, and his receiving record is the lowest of any all-time team leader in the league.

Odunze was shocked at the ineptitude of the position but is prepared to change and make history within the organization. Here’s hoping he’s around long enough to break the record and provide the Bears offense with a consistent and dangerous receiving threat for many years to come.

Brandon Marshall laments Jay Cutler not reaching ‘half of his potential’

“Jay Cutler should’ve won a Super Bowl … he didn’t reach half of his potential,” former Broncos WR Brandon Marshall said.

During a recent interview with “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans, former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall lamented retired quarterback Jay Cutler not living up to his potential.

“The worst quarterback that I played with, and listen, just understand that there was so much potential … was Jay Cutler,” Marshall said. “Jay Cutler should’ve won a Super Bowl. Jay Cutler had everything that it took to be one of the most legendary quarterbacks. And so, I would say Jay Cutler because he didn’t reach half of his potential.”

Mike Shanahan drafted Cutler in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft out of Vanderbilt. Cutler spent his first three seasons under Shanahan and had a career year in 2008, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.

The Broncos then fired Shanahan and replaced him with Josh McDaniels, who promptly attempted to trade for his former backup quarterback with the New England Patriots, Matt Cassel. Cutler was understandably upset by that and asked for a trade.

McDaniels eventually granted Cutler’s request, trading the QB to the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2009 season. Marshall later reunited in Chicago in 2012. They played six combined seasons together, three in Denver (2006-2008) and three in Chicago (2012-2014).

Cutler spent 12 years in the NFL and he never matched his career-best season under Shanahan after the 2008 campaign.

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Ex-Giant Brandon Marshall: Taylor Swift had Kanye West booted from Super Bowl

Former New York Giants WR Brandon Marshall claims Taylor Swift had Kanye West removed from his seats in front of her suite at the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl LVIII sideshow known as Taylor Swift could have been extra spicy had the singer not flexed her muscles and had a rival booted from the venue.

At least, that’s according to former New York Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

During a Monday episode of I Am Athlete’s “Paper Route” podcast, Marshall claimed to have inside knowledge of an alleged incident between Taylor and rapper Kanye West that played out before kickoff.

Marshall said that West purchased a pair of tickets for him and his wife, Bianca Censori, that were right in front of Swift’s luxury suite, which had been paid for by Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

After finding out about West’s plan, Swift allegedly made some phone calls and had West booted from Allegiant Stadium.

“Kanye West pulls up to Vegas. Kanye West buys a ticket right in front of her booth,” Marshall said. “He had a mask on with his logo on the mask — typical Kanye. Taylor Swift gets (expletive) off. She boom boom makes a call or two. Everybody’s involved. He gets kicked out the stadium. He was trying to leverage her celebrity.”

Despite Marshall’s claims that West was kicked out of the stadium, he was seen several times throughout the night.

The Swift-West beef dates back to 2009 when Kanye interrupted her acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the MTA VMA’s, famously telling the audience that it was Beyoncé who deserved the award instead. The feud was reignited in 2016 when West crudely included a lyric about Swift in his song “Famous.”

At the time, West claimed Swift had given her permission to use the lyric, which she later denied. A phone call between the two was leaked, at which point Swift alleged that it was illegally recorded and manipulated.

“Trash takes itself out every single time,” she said at the time.

Neither Swift nor West’s representatives have confirmed or denied Marshall’s claim.

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Cam Newton reveals the 1 team he’d be willing to return for

Panthers great Cam Newton said there’s only one team that can coax him back into the NFL right now.

Cam Newton may be ready to dust off his Dirty Bird.

The Carolina Panthers great and former wide receiver Brandon Marshall both hopped on Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning Football. Marshall, Newton’s “I am ICONIC Live Tour” co-host, asked his buddy about his desire for a potential return to the gridiron—demanding a list of three teams he’d be willing to play for.

But Newton only gave him one . . .

Newton, an Atlanta, Ga. native, has clearly enjoyed settling back into his hometown roots. A huge part of that enjoyment has come in his life as a father, something he alluded to back in October.

“I have seven beautiful children that I love takin’ to football practice, tennis practice, cheerin’ practice and all that,” Newton said during an episode of RG3 and The Ones. To get me up out takin’ them on a day-to-day basis, takin’ them to school—those are some of the things that you have to consider. And if the call doesn’t happen, still cool. I’m still straight. I have businesses and things like that that can feed that monster.”

Well, it just so happens that his hometown really needs a quarterback. Oh, and it just so happens that he already has a history with Bill Belichick, the perceived favorite to land the Falcons’ head-coaching vacancy.

Hmmm . . .

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NFL Network analyst predicts Alvin Kamara will catch 20 passes vs. Lions

Maurice Jones-Drew’s Week 13 bold prediction is Alvin Kamara will be the third NFL player to ever catch 20 passes in a game.

Former NFL running back and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew predicted New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara will catch 20 passes on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. This was a part of the network’s Week 13 bold predictions and that is definitely a bold call.

Only two players in league history have ever reached 20 catches in a game (Terrell Owens set the single-game record with 20 against the Bears in 2000; Brandon Marshall broke that record with 21 in a loss to the Colts in 2009). This likely won’t happen if only because Kamara will still be tasked with also running the ball.

Kamara’s career-high in catches and combined touches are 15 and 31. He’d have to eclipse that to make Jones-Drew’s bold prediction come true. Whether it comes true aside, his prediction speaks to the workload Kamara might have to see on Sunday. He caught 13 and 12 passes in games earlier this season, and injuries at wide receiver might force Derek Carr to funnel even more targets Kamara’s way.

Jamaal Williams hasn’t seen much work since returning from injured reserve and the Saints are down some receivers. 20 catches might be extreme, but the offense very well could run through Alvin Kamara versus the Lions.

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