The New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall says many NFL players believe Tom Brady’s race played a part in how he was treated over the Deflategate case.
Last week, a federal judge voided Brady’s suspension, which was handed down after an NFL investigation ruled that the New England Patriots quarterback had probably been aware that footballs had deliberately been underinflated during last season’s AFC Championship game.
“I think that there are three different types of players viewing this thing,” Marshall said on Showtime’s Inside the NFL. “Number one is the fighter. I think there are guys that are in the fight with Tom. When one player’s rights are upheld, all players’ rights are upheld. It’s not about what he did if he’s right or wrong, it’s more about the process. Is it fair?
“The second [type] is the coward. I call them cowards. That’s the guys who are afraid to face Tom Brady. They want him suspended. I don’t believe in that. And the last is the race card. There are a lot of players out there that believe that white players, specifically at the quarterback position, are treated differently.”
Marshall was asked whether some players believe a black quarterback such as Cam Newton would have had been treated differently if he was in the same position as Brady. “Well, when you look back at the history of this sport, you can build a case on that, yes,” said Marshall. That belief could be seen as unfair to the league as it was a federal judge rather than the NFL that overturned Brady’s suspension.
Marshall said that it was not only black players who are unhappy with the way the league handles discipline. “It’s just not African-American players,” said Marshall. “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.”
Marshall was then pressed on whether he thinks black players are treated differently to white players by the league. “Absolutely,” Marshall said. “At times, yes.”
Earlier this week NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told ESPN that after the Deflategate saga the league needs a “better discipline system” and he may change his role in the punishing players.
