Jets WR Brandon Marshall: Many players believe Tom Brady decision motivated by race

New England quarterback Tom Brady was freed from his four-game suspension last week for a number of reasons, all of which seemingly were documented by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman when he announced his decision.

But New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall said there’s a number of players around the league who think one of the main reasons was left out of Berman’s 40-page report.

“The race card,� Marshall said Tuesday night on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.� “There are a lot of players out there that believe that white players — specifically, at the quarterback position — are treated differently.�

The 10-year veteran said that he has found that active players are taking one of three views on the Brady situation. He said some were rooting for the star quarterback in the interest of players’ rights; others were against him simply because they didn’t want to face him on the field.

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And then there’s another group, Marshall said, who thinks the decision was racially motivated.

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason responded: “So you’re telling me that there are players out there ... that if this were Cam Newton, that his suspension would be upheld, and he would be there, that the judge would see Cam Newton differently because of the color of his skin?�

Marshall replied, “Well, when you look back at the history of this sport, you can build a case on that, yes.�

Host Adam Schein asked Marshall whether he thought black players were held to a different standard. “Absolutely,� Marshall said. “At times, at times, at times, yes.�

Schein and former NFL quarterback Phil Simms brought up Ben Roethlisberger and Richie Incognito as examples of white players who have served lengthy suspensions, leading Schein to note that maybe there’s a perception problem within the league.

“This is not just from our locker room,� Marshall said. “This is from the locker rooms across the states. This is how guys are feeling. This is not just my opinion. These are conversations I’m having with guys.�

He added: “It’s just not African American players. I’ve had this conversation with Caucasian players as well. The most important part of this whole discussion is the process for the players. They just want the process to be fair and right. They just want to get it right.�

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