Joe Burrow recently went to bat for his two-star receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, urging the Bengals’ front office to secure both of them with long-term deals. He not only publicly supported his teammates but also advocated internally to keep their dynamic trio intact.
Advertisement
When a team’s franchise player steps up like this, it can significantly strengthen a player’s negotiating position — something Brandon Marshall once did for Ryan Fitzpatrick during their time with the Jets.
Fitzpatrick played in an era when quarterbacks typically earned between $25 million and $30 million annually, but as a journeyman signal-caller, his compensation was even lower. Despite delivering the best season of his career, Fitzpatrick only sought half of what starting QBs were making at the time. The Jets weren’t even willing to part with that much. That’s when Brandon Marshall stepped in, advocating for the Jets to pay Fitzpatrick fairly.
Fitzpatrick had just one year left on his deal when the Texans traded him to the Jets. After Geno Smith’s injury in Week 1, Fitzpatrick took over as the starter and led the team to one of its most promising seasons in years. Despite his impressive performance, the Jets were hesitant to meet his modest contract demands.
Marshall, a star receiver for the team, staged a holdout to pressure the front office into re-signing Fitzpatrick. While the team claimed his absence was for other reasons — with some speculating he wanted more money for himself — Brandon during the latest episode of the I am Athlete podcast, revealed his true motive: to get his quarterback back in New York.
“The thing that I’m most proud of in my 13 years being in the NFL is my holdout. I didn’t hold out for more money for me, I held out for money for my QB then, Ryan Fitzpatrick. I also called Eric Decker and I said, we got our money. We know this is our guy. Let’s not show up. And we didn’t show up. The QBs at that time were making $25 million and he was asking for $12-$13 million. I said I’m not working anything out until my guy is there. They ended up getting a deal done.”
Marshall even convinced fellow wideout Eric Decker to join him in skipping preseason practices. Their absence left the Jets desperate, but Marshall remained firm in his stance. He believed in Fitzpatrick’s abilities and felt the quarterback deserved a fair deal.
Eventually, the Jets caved, but it took a prolonged standoff for them to meet Fitzpatrick’s demands. Marshall’s unwavering support played a crucial role in bringing “Fitzmagic” back to New York.
View this post on Instagram
Back in 2016, the highest-paid quarterback in the league was Andrew Luck, earning $24.59 million, while even Tom Brady took home just $20.5 million. Despite leading the Jets to a strong season, Ryan Fitzpatrick made only $15–$16 million over his two seasons with the team, with $12 million of that coming in his second year.
Marshall’s willingness to stand up for his teammate raises the question: Why don’t more star players do the same? As leaders, high-profile players have the influence to advocate for their teammates and remind franchises where the true power lies. Instead of focusing solely on their own paychecks, they could use their leverage to support the guys around them — just like Marshall did for Fitzpatrick.
