Michael Jordan once said that comparing players from different eras is always unfair to the previous generations. But no matter how unfair it may be, it has become a PR game too interesting to ignore.
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In the NFL world, Deion Sanders has long been the yardstick for measuring young athletes. Especially wide receivers and defensive backs. That’s exactly what Brandon Marshall did during his appearance on the 1 on 1’s Podcast back in March.
Addressing how much players have improved, Marshall claimed that the NFL has never seen a talent pool like the one in today’s era. “Players are better today. They’re better today,” he said with utmost confidence.
But, the co-host of the show wasn’t satisfied, and he wanted to get more out of the NFL veteran. So in a quick response, he asked, “So you’re saying Deion couldn’t guard these dudes today?”
This led to Brandon Marshall explaining what he thinks of legendary players and the talent gap between eras.
“No, I’m not saying Deion can’t,” he said. “What I will say is this: Deion was ahead of his time. And, Deion would still be Deion in this era, but you talk about Deion going against Julio. There was nobody moving like Julio.”
Though Brandon Marshall’s comparison may be a thief of joy for many Prime Time fans, it may be true. With the amount of innovation that has happened in training methods, diets, and in the game itself, it could technically be said that players today are better equipped and more skilled.
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Meanwhile, considering how much tougher the NFL has become on defenses, playing DB in today’s era is significantly harder. But at the same time, things have gotten a bit easier for receivers.
And even though Marshall claimed that Deion was ahead of his time, he argued that Deion’s competition wasn’t. According to the former Bear, the ’90s didn’t feature the kind of receivers the NFL saw in the 2010s.
“He [Deion] ain’t seen no Calvin Johnson back then. Who was Calvin Johnson in his era? Cris Carter? No. Cris Carter had the hands. Michael Irvin? No… Michael Irvin is not better than Julio Jones.”
As a six-time Pro Bowler himself, Marshall’s words shouldn’t be taken lightly. What do you think?
