Chicago Bears: Brandon Marshall’s Hall of Fame candidacy shouldn’t be a debate

If consistency means anything, Marshall should be Canton-bound:

With sound reasoning, the NFL associates the term “consistency” with someone like Jerry Rice, and rightfully so. Anytime you have 17 years in between your first 1,000-yard season and your last, that’s deserved. But upon Tier II, Brandon Marshall would like a word.

We hit on it a tad bit in the first slide, but Marshall’s year-to-year dependability shouldn’t go understated. No player in NFL history produced more 100-catch seasons than the Central Florida product. He and Antonio Brown sit on an island by themselves with six such occasions.

And then in the same realm, only six wide receivers to ever play have more 1,000-yard seasons.

At this point, it’s a simple math equation. There are 18 wide receivers in the Canton Hall of Fame, but are we sure there are 18 receivers with a better body of work?

The next time you find yourself watching ESPN, and the topic is of great wide receivers, take a look at the graphics, such as this one. And then consider who each of these guys had throwing them the ball.

And with Marshall, it isn’t just a case of substance without style. Where Rice excels in route running, and the likes of Randy Moss and Terrell Owens are known for big-play speed and physicality respectively, Marshall had watchability, too. Known as “The Beast,” Marshall had a penchant — sometimes to a fault — for turning backward after catches to chase extra yards. And more often than not, he got them.

Since the statistic has been tracked in 2006, Marshall owns the record for most tackles broken by a receiver (39), a testament to both his big-play ability and how none of those yards have come easy.

You’ve never had to scroll too far without seeing Marshall’s name on a wide receiver list. And sooner or later, that should include the lists of receivers in the Hall of Fame.