When Tom Brady won his appeal against the NFL and his four-game suspension was overturned, many players across the league chimed in with their opinions on Deflategate and the Patriots’ quarterback. Some agreed with the ruling, some didn’t.
But former Bronco and current Jets receiver Brandon Marshall took it a step further while a guest on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” on Tuesday.
According to Marshall, Brady’s suspension was lifted in part because of his race.
“There are a lot of players out there that believe that white players — specifically, at the quarterback position — are treated differently,” Marshall said.
“This is not just from our locker room, this is from locker rooms across the states.”
His argument didn’t hold up in the Broncos’ locker room, though.
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“Peyton Manning is Caucasian. He’s definitely held to a different standard than (Bills quarterback) Tyrod Taylor. It’s who you want to be in this league, and who you are and what you became,” C.J. Anderson said. “There are great expectations for me off what I did last season. You have Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger — they have great expectations because of what they’ve put on tape in the past. That’s how I feel about that. Russell Wilson, in back-to-back Super Bowls, he has expectations. I don’t think it’s a race thing.”
Return of Sanders
The Broncos opener Sunday against Baltimore will be Emmanuel Sanders’ first game action since injuring his hamstring in camp on Aug. 6.
While it might require some learning on the fly as he and the offense find their rhythm, his return is welcome.
“Big time,” Thomas said. “You can’t double me because you have to have somebody on him, too.”
For Manning, having Sanders back gives the Broncos more than another elite receiver.
“He brings a lot more than just his speed and route-running. He brings an energy,” Manning said. “He brings a competitive spirit that I think is contagious among the other players on offense and really the whole team.”
Injury updates
Defensive end Kenny Anunike was the lone player sidelined Wednesday as he continues to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery. Linebacker Lerentee McCray practiced, but was limited.
