Marshall, close to ending drought, cut by Saints
Brandon Marshall‘s playoff drought likely will continue in 2018.
Marshall, who has played 178 regular-season games without having appeared in a playoff game during his 13-season career, was waived by the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, the team announced.
Every offense is capable of a dud of a game and New Orleans is no different. What is encouraging is how the Saints never lost their confidence Sunday.
Marshall’s playoff drought, the ninth-longest in NFL history, appeared likely to end this season with the Saints (11-2) having clinched the NFC South title.
The veteran wide receiver, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, didn’t appear in a game with the Saints. He signed with the team last month after Dez Bryant suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
The Saints apparently didn’t see enough from Marshall to activate him, despite the lack of production they have been getting from their receiving corps behind standout Michael Thomas.
Rookies Tre’Quan Smith and Keith Kirkwood, second-year pro Austin Carr and third-year pro Tommylee Lewis have combined for a total of seven catches over the past three games.
It’s possible the Saints could get veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. back from injured reserve in time for the playoffs. Coach Sean Payton said this week that his rehab from a knee injury has been going well.
Marshall began this season with the Seattle Seahawks, appearing in six games and catching 11 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown before he was released Nov. 1.
The Saints were Marshall’s fourth team in two years and the seventh of his career. The 34-year-old veteran is 15th on the all-time list with 970 receptions and 22nd in receiving yards with 12,351. He also has 83 career touchdowns, and his six seasons of 100-plus receptions are the most in NFL history.
To replace Marshall on the roster, the Saints claimed tight end Erik Swoope off waivers after he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. Swoope, 26, had eight catches for 87 yards and three touchdowns in seven games played this year.
Swoope (6-foot-5, 257 pounds) was a basketball player at the University of Miami (Fla.) before switching to football — just like former Saints great Jimmy Graham. Swoope joined the Colts as an undrafted rookie in 2014, but he didn’t catch his first NFL pass until 2016.
ESPN’s Mike Triplett contributed to this report.