Feb. 18--INDIANAPOLIS -- Brandon Marshall wants to continue his role as a panelist on Showtime's "Inside the NFL," regardless of which team he plays for in 2015. It's clear he must reach an understanding on the matter with Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox if the five-time Pro Bowl receiver is to remain on the roster next season.
"Regardless of who it is, I think their focus and energy needs to remain on what's going to help us win a championship," Fox said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine.
Fox, Pace and their staffs are in the process of evaluating Marshall and all other players ahead of new league year, which begins March 10. Marshall's $7.5 million base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 12 if he's still on the roster.
Fox said he has not talked with Marshall specifically about his role with Showtime, which required a roundtrip flight to New York on Tuesdays during the season. Marshall said he was in the air by 6 a.m. and back in Chicago by 4 p.m. with the ability to study on his iPad.
Pace and Fox think similarly about Marshall's involvement with the show.
"I just want to make sure that we understand the Chicago Bears and football are our No. 1 priority going forward," Pace said Wednesday.
Marshall reiterated on Feb. 11 that he plans to remain active off the field. His Project 375 foundation promotes mental health awareness, and he's involved with Showtime.
Former general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman permitted Marshall to commit to Showtime last season because he ensured his arrangement with the network included provisions that enabled him not to appear on the program in certain circumstances, such as when he suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung in December.
Marshall explained last week that he views his arrangement with Showtime as less detrimental to the team than the impact of a player who partakes in nightlife on the weekends during the season.
All that can be taken into account as Fox and Pace shape the roster.
"I think he's had great production," Fox said. "I think he's a guy that's a big target. That helps you a lot in the red area, and he's done it in this league. We're trying to evaluate where everybody fits and how we best use them and, again, trying to put the best football team on the field. He's part of that process.
"I don't know if it's fair to give a full evaluation when I only took part of the test. We've still got more questions on the test, so we'll continue down that path and hopefully make the best decision for our football team."
