Veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall is signing a one-year deal with the Saints, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Marshall will step in for Dez Bryant, who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear just hours after inking his contract with the team.
Marshall hooked on with the Seahawks this offseason, and while he found the end zone in Week 1 of the regular season, his playing time quickly diminished. He was targeted just twice during his last three games with Seattle and was let go on October 30. He’s clearly lost a step or two, and probably doesn’t have the same upside as a healthy Bryant, but the Saints feel that he can offer quality support behind top receivers Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith.
Marshall is a six-time Pro Bowler, but he hasn’t played at an elite level since the 2015 season in which he posted 109 receptions, 1,502 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns for the Jets. Injuries have limited his effectiveness and overall production, and Marshall appeared in only five games a year ago before going on injured reserve with a ankle injury. With the Saints, he’ll have a chance to prove he can still be a difference-maker.
As Schefter notes, Marshall has never made a playoff game in his 13-year career, but he now has a good chance of seeing the postseason for the first time. After a 51-14 throttling of the Bengals, Marshall and the Saints will face the Eagles in New Orleans on Sunday.