Brandon Marshall: Race played a factor in Deflategate decision

Brandon Marshall will once again join Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” for the 2015 season, and the New York Jets wide receiver wasted no time offering his first controversial take when the show aired Tuesday night.

While discussing Tom Brady and the Deflategate saga, Marshall said there are players across the league who feel Brady’s suspension was vacated in part because he is white.

“The race card,” Marshall said, via Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. “There are a lot of players out there that believe that—white players specifically, at the quarterback position—are treated differently.”

Marshall went on to explain that he believes there are three different viewpoints from players with regard to Deflategate — those who are happy the union won, those who are “cowards” and wanted Brady suspended so they didn’t have to face him, and those who believe race was a factor.

When co-host Boomer Esiason asked Marshall to clarify if he meant there are players in the NFL who believe a Cam Newton suspension would have been upheld in federal court because of his skin color, Marshall reiterated his stance.

“Well, when you look back at the history of this sport, you can build a case on that, yes. … It’s just not African-American players. I’ve had this conversation with Caucasian players as well,” Marshall said. “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.”

You’d hate to think a U.S. District Court judge takes race into consideration when making a ruling. It would be more understandable if Marshall and other players wondered if race was a factor in the NFL making its disciplinary rulings.

That said, we already heard from one NFL player who believes Brady was given preferential treatment in court. I’m sure there are plenty others who feel the same way.