If the friendship between Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler still exists, it is currently on hiatus.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” Thursday morning, Marshall opened up about his relationship with Cutler. The two were close friends when they entered the league together with the Denver Broncos in 2006 and were reunited with the Chicago Bears in 2012, but things took a turn for the worse last season.
According to Marshall, the problems may have started when he called Cutler out following an embarrassing 27-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins at home in Week 7.
“There is a culture in the league that you keep everything in-house,” Marshall explained. “But for me last year, I felt like, when we are going on 10 years, nine, 10 years in the league — it’s time to get it. I felt like I was the only one in the organization that had the ‘huevos’ to hold [Cutler] accountable. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go.”
Marshall had over 100 yards receiving in just two games last season. After catching 100 passes in 2013 and 118 in 2012, he caught just 61 balls for 721 yards — his lowest totals since his rookie season. Marshall did not record a double-digit catch game all season.
He hasn’t talked to Cutler since.
“We didn’t talk much during the year. We still haven’t talked,” Marshall said. “That is sad. I don’t think there is anybody in the league that had more chemistry than us. If we had a slant route, I was going to go in the hole and he would find me. We saw the game the right way. I felt like that is something we could have built on.”
It became very obvious that Marshall and Cutler aren’t on good terms last month when Marshall was asked who is the best quarterback he has ever played with.
Expectations were high for the Bears heading into the 2014 season, and they finished 5-11. Sometimes losing takes its toll even on close friendships.
