Former wide receiver Earl Bennett remains a beloved favorite among Chicago Bears fans. Somebody who climbed his way to relevancy the hard way and did a lot of the dirty work for a few nice years. Such an unselfish player. So one can imagine what it must be like for him watching a player like Antonio Brown, somebody with immense talent, continue to act with such pettiness and ego.
For those who aren’t caught up, Brown recently took to Twitter. There he called out former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster for costing the Pittsburgh Steelers a chance at the playoffs because of a fumble he had against the New Orleans Saints. Keep in mind this is the same guy who intentionally sat the final game of the year when everybody believed he could’ve played.
What makes it even more baffling is that Smith-Schuster did nothing to provoke these attack. Proof beyond a doubt that Brown was incredibly insecure beneath all that bravado. Was Bennett surprised by it? Not in the slightest. He explained why in a Twitter thread.
Earl Bennett hints that Brandon Marshall acted the same way to Alshon Jeffery
It seems this sort of behavior was something Bennett witnessed in the past. While he didn’t directly give names, it became rather easy to determine who he was talking about as the thread went on.
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I have a similar story on this Antonio Brown instance while in Chicago 👀 #StoryTimeWithEarl
— Earl B. Bennett (@EarlBBennett) April 8, 2019
Receivers are typically divas, arrogant and self absorbed. Which is fine while playing the game. When it comes to taking jabs at teammates that show love or played well, that crosses the line. #StoryTimeWithEarl
— Earl B. Bennett (@EarlBBennett) April 8, 2019
Bears WR shattered his own record during a loss to the Vikings. At the time this guy was the #2 receiver. Everyone was congratulating him on a great accomplishment. Except for the guy in the locker next to him. #StoryTimeWithEarl
— Earl B. Bennett (@EarlBBennett) April 8, 2019
The game he is referring to his December 1st against the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. Alshon Jeffery, who had 218 yards a few weeks prior against New Orleans, broke his own record with 249 including two touchdowns. It was the signature game of his Bears career and pretty much locked him in for his first Pro Bowl. Everybody was thrilled for him. Except for one person.
The #2 guys look at me and say ”I train with this guy in the offseason.” Everyone in the group was baffled and outraged as to why #1 was upset. The guy just broke a franchise record. Everyone was happy for him. Except for the envious hater. #StoryTimeWithEarl
— Earl B. Bennett (@EarlBBennett) April 8, 2019
It seems Brandon Marshall, who was the #1 guy in the Bears passing attack at that time, wasn’t happy about the display. While originally thrilled for the chance to pair with Jeffery, it was becoming obvious at that point the young receiver was better than expected. So good that it might even threaten Marshall’s spot as the go-to guy. Apparently, he didn’t handle it well.
Just another reason why Ryan Pace had no issues trading him a couple of years later and perhaps why he and Jeffery’s bromance didn’t last long. If nothing else, it’s further proof that for all his talent, Marshall was always more about himself than the team. Otherwise, he could’ve retired in Chicago.
In those game highlights shown here, Marshall seems to be congratulating Jeffery on his great plays, so who knows if what Earl says is exactly true.