The NFL lost its Brandon Marshall base in 2019, following the wide receiver’s 13th season and the linebacker being unable to stick with a team after his seventh. But the latter continues to make inroads to a comeback.
After working out for the 49ers recently, Marshall auditioned for the Bears on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The 31-year-old linebacker has spent the offseason training in hopes of resuming his career, and he may be on the verge of receiving an opportunity.
A Super Bowl starter alongside current Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan with the 2015 Broncos, Marshall signed a subsequent extension to stay in Denver. He lasted three more seasons with the team, but injuries restricted him over the life of that contract. The Broncos cut bait in 2019. Although Marshall signed with the Raiders later that year, injuries again impeded him. The Raiders cut him ahead of the ’19 season.
Marshall has 63 starts on his resume, working his way from fifth-round pick to key cog on one of this era’s premier defenses. In an effort to ignite his comeback bid, Marshall attended a late-May showcase for NFL scouts in San Diego. That effort appears to have worked, but Marshall’s return to the league will hinge on his health. He missed five games in both the 2016 and ’18 seasons.
The former Jaguars draftee, however, has three 100-tackle seasons on his resume. And the Bears have seen both their starting inside ‘backers — Trevathan and Roquan Smith — battle injuries during their time as a duo. Chicago still has Christian Jones in place as a backup but has not addressed the position in the draft since 2018.
I doubt he could actually contribute anything but it doesn’t cost anything to kick the tires.
The link to PFR is for the wrong Brandon Marshall.
Wide receiver and linebacker in the same paragraph…. fun