Brandon Marshall, is that the linebacker or the receiver?
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - Brandon Marshall the linebacker figured he made quite a name for himself with a breakout season as the Denver Broncos' top tackler last year.
That hasn't stopped people from confusing the Brandon Marshall who makes a living hitting people with the Brandon Marshall who makes millions catching passes.
When rumors began swirling that the Chicago Bears' star wide receiver was about to get traded to the Jets, the Broncos' Brandon Marshall started getting plenty of misdirected tweets welcoming him to the Big Apple.
The Mile High Marshall tweeted this response:
"So, it wasn't enough to have Bears fans always blowing up my Twitter. Now I have Jets fans blowing it up. This is a never ending journey. lol"
When the pending trade became a big story Friday, it wasn't just social media that got it wrong.
Marshall the linebacker gets mistaken for Marshall the wide receiver all the time.
Before this latest volley of confounding congratulations, Marshall the linebacker estimated he got about 150 misdirected tweets every day from people mistaking him for the five-time Pro Bowl receiver who last season made more money in one week - $525,294 - than Marshall the linebacker did all season - $495,000.
Marshall the linebacker did get some good news Friday: The Broncos tendered the fourth-year pro as an exclusive rights restricted free agent, which means he'll get a bump in pay to $585,000.
That still pales in comparison to his namesake's $7.7 million salary in 2015, but more seasons like he had last year and Marshall the linebacker could find himself in the same stratosphere before long.
Making matters worse in the mix-up department is the Marshalls' connections to Denver.
Marshall the linebacker - whose middle name is Markieth - was drafted by Jacksonville in the fifth round in 2012 only to get cut three times by the Jaguars before landing in Denver in 2013.
Marshall the wide receiver - middle name Tyrone - was drafted by Denver in the fourth round in 2006 out of Central Florida before going to Miami in 2010 and Chicago in 2012.
They get confused all the time on Twitter and Instagram. Even in the mail.
When he made his first career start in Denver last fall, collecting nine tackles and making a key tackle on special teams, Marshall the linebacker reached into his locker for a rare bit of fan mail.
Out popped two football cards of Marshall the wide receiver and a note asking if he could autograph them and mail them back in the return envelope to a town in Iowa.
Marshall the linebacker said he couldn't understand why someone would send a Bears football card to the Broncos facility.
In fact, Marshall the linebacker knows of no football cards out there with his likeness.
Just as well. They'd probably get that wrong, too.
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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
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AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton is often confused for his twin brother, Andrew Stapleton, a college professor in Wisconsin. Follow Arnie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton