Brandon Marshall wants you to listen to him talk about football but warns that he has no credibility when it comes to debating quarterbacks. That’s Jay Cutler’s fault.
Cutler was deemed a coach killer and a team killer at various points during his NFL career, but now according to Marshall, he’s also a credibility killer. Marshall joined an episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show earlier this week, and during the interview, the former wide receiver and current I Am Athlete host was asked to give his opinion on Russell Wilson. And while Marshall still believes in Wilson, he admits fans might want to take a buyer-beware mentality with his quarterback takes.
“We’ve debated quarterbacks for a very long time,” Marshall told Smith. “And I have to be honest, there was a moment where I used to debate you and I lost all credibility because I stood on the table for Jay Cutler. So, people nowadays gotta take my points around the quarterback discussion with a grain of salt. So, I understand that.”
In 2016, Marshall went on First Take and said “Jay Cutler can be MVP this year. I truly believe that.” Cutler went on to play in just five games that season, throwing four touchdowns and getting one win. Those are far from MVP-level numbers. He did, however, tie his career low in interceptions that season, so at least Cutler had that going for him.
That wasn’t the first time Marshall defended Cutler, who he played with for three seasons in Miami and two seasons in Chicago. But it wasn’t until 2019 that Marshall went back on First Take and labeled Cutler a “bad” quarterback. And to be fair to Cutler, Marshall claiming he was a “bad” quarterback is probably just as egregious as claiming he could win the MVP.
Cutler was mediocre, disappointing, erratic, and overpaid, but he wasn’t “bad.” He deserves at least some credit for taking the Bears to an NFC Championship Game and being arguably their best quarterback in franchise history. But the damage to Marshall was done in 2016. Call Cutler an MVP candidate, and promptly relinquish the ability to fairly speak on a quarterback ever again.
