It looks like stud Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall is headed to New York.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the Bears agreed Friday to trade the 30-year-old wide receiver to the Jets, pending a physical. NBC Chicago confirmed the transaction. The trade can't become official until the start of free agency, which signifies the new NFL league year, at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Ian Rappaport, of the NFL Network, reported early signs indicate the Jets would give up a fifth-round pick for the five-time Pro Bowler -- a steal for a receiver that holds records for most receptions in a game in NFL history (21) and has nearly 10,000 receiving yards over the course of his career.
Should the trade go through, it would be a coup for new general manager Mike Maccagnan, the former Texans' scout who recently replaced John Idzik after two dismal seasons and failure to take advantage of ample salary cap room.
Marshall, formerly with the Jets' divisional rival in Miami, missed the final three games of the season after suffering fractured ribs and a punctured lung in a Week 14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
During his three-year tenure with the Bears, Marshall was a divisive figure off the field, but his on-field production was critical to the team's successes on the offensive side of the ball. In 45 games with the Bears, Marshall racked up 3,524 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging 78.3 yards per game.
Those 31 touchdowns rank Marshall fifth in Bears team history, and his 279 catches put him in eighth place on the team's all-time reception list.
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