Jets' Sheldon Richardson: Brandon Marshall 'knows what he did'
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson reignited his personal feud with former teammate Brandon Marshall, likening his behavior to a drama queen's and accusing Marshall of quitting on the team last season.
"That man knows what he did to the locker room," Richardson said Monday on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York 98.7. "I was the one who addressed it and I would still address it to this day. If he can't come out [in the] media and tell 'em what he did and how he actually quit on his team way before the season was over, that's all in itself."
Richardson and Marshall nearly came to blows in the locker room after a Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Their tense relationship became the focal point in the team's widely publicized locker room issues.
Marshall requested his release in March and signed with the New York Giants, later saying in a radio interview he didn't want to stay with the Jets because he felt they had no chance to win in 2017.
"That whole situation was sticky because we were losing and then you're doing little things that are drama queen-ish, and he's dogging out this guy and that guy," Richardson said of Marshall. "It's everybody's fault except for his. ... No one wanted to say something to him. Then I say something to him, the criminal, the bad guy, and the media just ran with it."
Richardson made headlines in the spring when he said there are "15 reasons" why the locker room is a better place this season -- an obvious reference to Marshall, who wore No. 15.
Richardson reiterated that on Monday. Asked if he's happy Marshall is gone, he said, "In a way, yeah, I am."
He laughed when reminded of Marshall's quote about not wanting to be part of a losing program.
"He contributed to that," Richardson said. "You have to look within yourself. He was out there when we was taking those L's. That's what a team is supposed to do.
"If you want to be that guy, you should be the reason the team is changing their culture."
In May, Marshall -- responding to Richardson's previous remarks -- cited his work ethic and overall approach on a variety of fronts.
"I'm not a perfect guy, but I worked extremely hard to get in the position that I am in today," Marshall told reporters after a Giants OTA session. "The first couple of years of my career, it was rough. And a lot of it I did myself. I hurt myself. But since that point, once I figured things out, I've worked extremely hard to be a better person.
"I've worked extremely hard to be a better teammate, a better father, a better husband -- and I'm proud of where I'm at today. I wake up every single day, trying to make a positive impact in any room that I step into."
