CHICAGO – Although Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall remains on crutches following arthroscopic hip surgery, he said he plans to mentor second-year wideout Alshon Jeffery this offseason and will begin training with him on Monday in South Florida.
"I'm excited because this kid has the potential to be an All-Pro one year," Marshall said of Jeffery Thursday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN Chicago 1000. "If he just changes some little things, the way he approaches the game as far as physically and mentally, he's going to be a beast. Because he has that dog in him, he has that in him, that you want in a receiver ... a guy who is going to make plays for you.
"For me, I always started training the week after the Super Bowl, and he's going into his second year so it shouldn't be a problem for him. As I'm getting a little older, I have to change the way I attack it. Starting off, our routines will be a little different, but just getting him with the right people, nutritionists, trainer, chiropractors and all that stuff. (It's about) showing him the other side of the business, showing him it's not just about coming to work and going on the field. There is so much more to the game that will allow you to be successful if you just do it. I'm excited to have this position."
Marshall spoke openly during the regular season about his desire to train with Jeffery, the Bears' 2012 second-round draft choice out of South Carolina. Jeffery caught 24 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns in a 10-game rookie season that was cut short due to hand and knee injuries.
But Marshall will be unable to train with Jeffery at full speed for several weeks, as Marshall is still on crutches after undergoing hip surgery in early January. Marshall said he deals with hip problems every year and is believed to need constant treatments on the hip during the regular season.
But Marshall still set Bears' single-season franchise records with 118 receptions for 1,508 yards, to go along with 11 touchdowns, in his first year in Chicago after the Bears acquired him via trade from the Miami Dolphins last offseason.
"I need to have the hip procedure every year, so it seems like every time I have the surgery (I have) a Pro Bowl year, so hopefully the surgeries keep coming because it seems like those are my best years," said Marshall, who was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl this season. "It's just part of the game. Everyone is banged up, everyone is injured. For me, I just had to get my hip cleaned out a little bit. It was causing me a little discomfort, a little pinching, but again, I went through the whole year and was able to be productive.
"I'm just excited to get back out there. I'll be on crutches for another few weeks, and after that I'll start running a week or two after that."