Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson brought a feud with Brandon Marshall into the public last year. Even though Marshall is no longer a member of the Jets, Richardson ripped into him again today on the first day of OTA’s.
Sheldon Richardson says the Jets' locker room is a better place without Brandon Marshall. https://t.co/HeoNE3Zbv0 pic.twitter.com/YoYSl0Bg2w
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 23, 2017
The thing that strikes me about this is how childish it is.
When you’re an adult, whether you play professional football or do something else, you’ll end up working with people you don’t like. I am sure every person in that Jets locker room has had a teammate they do not like. It’s something you deal with. You’d like to think Richardson is made of tough enough stuff to get over it by the time Marshall is no longer a member of the team.
I have seen plenty of people wonder whether Richardson or Marshall is more to blame. It doesn't really matter, though. That stuff should have no impact with the 2017 Jets and isn't necessary to bring up.
I don’t think this is necessarily a huge deal, but the team is trying to turn the page from a brutal 2016. Does dwelling on this help the team? Is it good that the coach has to answer a question like this on the first day back?
Told of Sheldon's comments about Brandon Marshall, Bowles said: "I don't have a reaction to that." #jets
— Kimberley A. Martin (@KMart_LI) May 23, 2017
Bowles declined to comment on Richardson's shot at Marshall. Asked if Marshall hurt locker room chemistry, he said simply, "No." #jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) May 23, 2017
The other issue here is Richardson pointing the finger at somebody else. This is not a guy who has a lot of room to criticize others. He had less than 2 sacks last year. He was handed a suspension for the second consecutive season. He was benched for a quarter for being late to team meetings. You can't help but wonder what some people in the locker room might say about that if they wanted to make a big fuss with the media.