Brandon Marshall was never perfect. His tenure with the Chicago Bears ended some would argue prematurely. Such was the case with every team he played for. Despite being a brilliant wide receiver with Hall of Fame-caliber talent, his mental instability always found a way to get him shipping out. However, in 2013 there were no such issues. Marshall was fast becoming one of the best receivers in Bears history.
Expectations were high for the team going into 2013. They'd finished 10-6 the year before and had a revamped offense. The Cincinnati Bengals on opening day would make for a great opening challenge. There was one problem. That was linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who was already developing a reputation as one of the dirtiest players in football. Earl Bennett of Pro Style Media revealed that it didn't take the guy long to live up to his reputation.
There was one problem though. He picked Marshall as his target.
As the trash talking ensued between Burfict and Marshall, I saw it go south quickly. Burfict told Marshall, “I’m going to beat you, like you beat your wife.” Now, trash talking is fair game until you bring up family. The situation quickly escalated as I saw Marshall’s face turn like Venom (when he asked the guy to turn down the music) and stayed that way the entire game.
Raging with fury, Marshall went right at Burfict for the next few plays. Didn’t matter what the play was, he was absolute furious – and rightfully so. We get to the line of scrimmage and I see Marshall staring at Burfict. Then I hear Marshall call out Burfict address and say, “Yea, I know where you stay. Be at your spot, I’ll see about you.” This threw me for a loop! Marshall knowing Burfict’s place of residence was a complete MAFIA move. Burfict was stunned! He did not know how to respond.
Brandon Marshall certainly didn't play that game
Apparently Burfict was genuinely shaken by Marshall's response. One must remember that the wide receiver was 6'4 and built like a Greek god. Burfict was 6'1. The size difference alone would've offered problems in a fight. That might explain by the linebacker asked Bennett during the game to tell Marshall he'd been joking. Bennett wisely refused, knowing that his teammate always played better when he was pissed off. Marshall finished with 104 yards and the game-winning touchdown catch.
This after the Bears overcame a 21-10 second half deficit.
It was a reminder to Burfict that there are some subjects that are off-limits with players. Also, there are some bears you just don't poke. Especially when they have their own history of being a bit unstable. This hasn't stopped him from continuing his usual ways. Burfict was suspended for the remainder of the 2019 season due to deliberate head-first tackling attempts against the Indianapolis Colts.
