If Brandon Marshall is a man of his word, he'll soon be announcing his retirement from the National Football League.
(UPDATE: He's not retiring.)
The Jets are releasing the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, Newsday's Kimberly Martin first reported Thursday, as the team continues to rid its roster of expensive and aging veterans. Corneback Darrelle Revis and center Nick Mangold were released by the team in the past week.
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Martin reported that Marshall asked to be released and the Jets granted his wish; however, Marshall said several times during his tenure in New York that the Jets would be his last stop in the NFL before retiring. He tweeted in 2015, "If I'm cut tomorrow. I'll retire. This will be my last team." He had even stronger words in a New York Daily News piece.
"Once the Jets say, 'We don't need you anymore,' I'm going to venture off into that world," Marshall told the Daily News. "I'm not playing for another team. Four (Broncos, Dolphins, Bears, Jets) is all I need. It's too hard to make new friends and relationships and deal with different egos. I don't like the business already. So I'm not trying to deal with that."
So what's next for Marshall?
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He's 32, but he's also a 6-4 red-zone threat who's still producing at a high level and has plenty left in the tank. There's no way he could retire now, right?
Before his late-night Instagram post, retirement wouldn't have been surprising. As noted, Marshall has talked retirement many times throughout his 11-year career. He considered it in 2012 while recovering from his third hip surgery.
“I woke up every day just going through the motions,” Marshall told the New York Post.
Marshall revealed that one day he went on a 6-mile run and cried the whole way.
After Chicago traded him to New York in March 2015, Marshall said he came to the Jets on "a two-year plan," hoping to win a Super Bowl with them before hanging 'em up for good.
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With Marshall coming off his least productive season since his rookie year and the Jets clearly in rebuilding mode, Marshall could just be is looking for a new team that gives him a better chance at a ring. Teams certainly will be interested. He is one of only five players in NFL history to catch 100 passes or more in three consecutive seasons, and he holds the NFL single-game record with 21 receptions.
If Marshall does decide enough's enough, he could easily join the list of former NFL players who've jumped into broadcasting. He already is a host on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” and has made a number of TV appearances throughout his career.
And if Brandon Marshall is a man of his word, the decision should be an obvious one.
(UPDATE: Marshall has made his decision. It isn't retirement.)
This column has been updated with Marshall saying he will look to sign with another team after the Jets release him.