NFL WR Brandon Marshall Claims ‘Race Card’ The Reason For Tom Brady’s ‘Deflategate’ Suspension Reversal

Brandon Marshall feels some kind of way about Tom Brady’s suspension reversal. For most of the year, Brady has been the center of controversy in the NFL world due to the ongoing “Deflategate” ordeal. By now, most NFL fans are well aware of what has occurred, but for those who don’t know, the New England Patriots came under fire after it was discovered that they’d allegedly played the majority of the 2014 football season.

Although evidence proved that the balls were indeed deflated, Brady’s four-game suspension has been overturned by a judge. He will play at the start of the official season. While Patriots’ fans are thrilled about the suspension reversal, New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall has a different perspective.

Apparently, he feels the suspension was overturned for a reason totally unrelated to football. According to ESPN, Marshall blames race relations for the deflation of the Deflategate debacle. During a recent panel discussion on Inside the NFL, Marshall shared his opinion of the situation.

“The race card. There are a lot of players out there that believe that white players — specifically, at the quarterback position — are treated differently,” Marshall argued. “I think that there are three different types of players’ views in this thing.”

“No. 1 is the fighter. I think there are guys in the fight with Tom. When one player’s rights are upheld, then all players’ rights are upheld. It’s not about what he did, if he’s right or wrong. It’s more about the process. Is it fair? The second is cowards — I call them cowards. That’s the guys that are afraid to face Tom Brady. They want him suspended; I don’t believe in that.”

Marshall’s opinion prompted Former Jets quarterback and Inside the NFL co-panelist Boomer Esiason to ask him to further elaborate on his opinion.

“So you’re telling me that there are players out there, and I don’t know if you believe this, that there are players out there, that if this was Cam Newton, that his suspension would be upheld and he would be there, that the judge would see Cam Newton differently because of the color of his skin?” Esiason asked.

Brandon Marshall says some NFL players think race impacted Tom Brady's suspension reversal: http://t.co/XSagjC2Qey pic.twitter.com/35c1t8eI3e

— ESPN (@espn) September 9, 2015

Marshall responded by sharing what he feels is the distinct difference between white and black NFL players. He also stated that he was speaking on behalf of other players who share his sentiments by insisting that his opinion derived from a number of locker room conversations.

‘Well, when you look back at the history of this sport, you can build a case on that, yes,” Marshall responded. “I think that the important role that I play on this show is to give the viewers [an] inside look of the locker room. I am a player right now. This is not just from our locker room; this is from the locker rooms across the states. This is how guys are feelings. This is not just my opinion. These are conversations I’m having with guys.”

Brady’s highly-publicized suspension and reversal follow a controversial series of events that led to an extensive investigation. The National Football League requires all footballs to weigh a gauge pressure of approximately 12.5 to 13.5 pounds per square inch at the time they are measured by referees. But, an interception thrown by Tom Brady during the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship Game proved that wasn’t the case for the Patriots.

Brady reportedly threw the interception to Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. When Jackson tossed the ball to one of the Colts’ equipment managers to keep it as a souvenir, he didn’t notice there was an issue with the ball, but Colts’ staff did. By halftime, the ball was inspected by NFL officials, who discovered it was approximately two pounds less than the minimum gauge pressure normally required. The controversial find led to a 243-page investigative report published back in May.

Apparently, the underinflation blunder led to a detailed investigation, which has raised questions about seasons prior to the 2014 season due to the ball regulation change, which was introduced in 2006. Prior to the 2006 season, all footballs used in games were supplied by the home team. However, all of that changed in 2006 when it became permissible for teams to provide their own balls when on offense. Since underinflation makes it much easier to grip and catch a ball, much of the Patriots’ previous success has been questioned. However, none of the claims will have any bearing on Brady’s career going forward.

[Photo(s) by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images; Jim Rogash/Getty Images; Grant Halverson/Getty Images]