Getty New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers posing for a photo opp.
The New York Jets could be getting some more help this offseason.
39-year-old retired NFL star Brandon Marshall announced on his podcast, I Am Athlete, that he is willing to make a football comeback in 2023 to join Aaron Rodgers.
“I’m already ready, I got my jersey [wearing a No. 15 Marshall Jets uniform],” Marshall showed to his viewers on the episode posted on Thursday, May 11. “Here’s why I’ll be ready if I get the call to come back as a New York Jet at tight end. We’re going to win the Super Bowl. I’m going to be able to contribute at a high level.”
Dear @NYJets,
Brandon Marshall is willing to come out of retirement and play TE for Aaron Rodgers.
We’ve provided a short video detailing what he’ll contribute 📈
Talk soon,
– I Am Athlete Management
Subscribe & watch the full #PaperRoute convo 📰 → t.co/foD6j8PgyA
Marshall played the wide receiver position throughout his 13-year NFL career but is on board with changing positions to tight end to make his football comeback possible.
Brandon Marshall Makes His Pitch to the Jets
As part of Marshall’s pitch to the Jets on making his football comeback, he was specific with his expected contributions from a statistical perspective.
“This is what I’m gonna give you, 45 catches, 20-30 plays [per game], and I’m going to give you eight touchdowns.”
Only one tight end in Jets history has ever secured eight or more receiving touchdowns in a single season. That was Rich Caster back in 1972 with 10 touchdown catches.
Marshall during his playing days dominated as a wide receiver. In his 13 seasons, he caught 970 receptions for 12,351 receiving yards and has hauled in 83 touchdowns.
However, he hasn’t played professional football since 2018 (five years ago). The position change from wide receiver to tight end could help ease the transition for Marshall back to the pros.
While learning a new position is never easy, it is more acceptable to be a little slower at tight end versus wide receiver. Marshall’s best years are clearly behind him but his 6-foot-5, 232-pound frame could still help a team in 2023.
Brandon Marshall Has a Great History With Jets
The former UCF product played for six different NFL organizations during his career. Although one of his best seasons ever happened while he was a member of the Jets.
In March of 2015, Gang Green traded a fifth-rounder to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a seventh-rounder and Marshall.
He only ended up playing for the Jets from 2015 through 2016, however, he made a tremendous impact in a short amount of time. Marshall’s 2015 season featured him catching 109 receptions for 1,502 receiving yards and catching 14 touchdowns.
Those three milestones are still the best single-season marks in Jets franchise history. In the last 12 years, the Jets have only had one winning season and it came in that magical 2015 season.
Second-year wideout Garrett Wilson might have a chance to at least compete with those statistics in 2023. He was able to earn the first Offensive Rookie of the Year honor in team history despite playing with four different quarterbacks last season.
Next year Wilson will be playing with one of the best passers in the history of the sport. That should at the very least provide a solid increase in both quality opportunities and overall volume.