Brandon Marshall Comments on Current Contract with Jets, Future in NFL

New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall doesn't want to be a salary-cap burden when his current contract expires.  

The team owes Marshall $17 million over the next two years. If the Jets gave him another contract after the 2017 season, he said he wouldn't want to "steal" from the team, per Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media:

"

Some players, they know they don't got it anymore and their heart is not in it, and they still take the money. That's taking advantage of your team. I get that it's a business and get everything you want, but you've still got to hold yourself accountable and be accountable to your teammates. When I no longer have it, I'll walk away.

"

The six-time Pro Bowler just turned 32 years old on March 23 and has not made the playoffs in his career. Despite that, Marshall had one of the best seasons of his 10-year career with the Jets in 2015, catching 109 passes for 1,502 yards.

He's fifth among active receivers in yards now that Reggie Wayne and Calvin Johnson have retired. Marshall has recorded a 1,000-yard season in all but two seasons.

1	Andre Johnson	14,100
2	Steve Smith	13,932
3	Larry Fitzgerald	13,366
4	Anquan Boldin	13,195
5	Brandon Marshall	11,273
6	Jason Witten	11,215
7	Roddy White	10,863
8	Antonio Gates	10,644
9	Wes Welker	9,924
10	Marques Colston	9,759

"If they gave me a contract, they can always give me one more," Marshall joked, per Slater. "Nah, I don't like to steal, man." 

Marshall talked about what it takes to play at an elite level as he gets older, per Slater:

"

The hard part, when you get older, it's all mental. It's not about: Can you still do it?

It takes longer to warm up. You have to go through an extensive process to recover. And it's the guys that commit to that process, are the ones that are able to go from playing at a high level at 30, into their mid-30s, and even in their late 30s. So that's what I'm understanding now. 

"

While Marshall hasn't made the playoffs, he's been one of the more consistent receivers in the NFL for the better part of a decade. 

Although Marshall might consider playing beyond the point of being a valuable commodity, no one can argue that he hasn't earned every penny up to this point.