Brandon Marshall's baggage has arrived in Chicago.
The newly acquired Bears wide receiver said Friday morning he couldn't answer questions about a reported weekend altercation and accusations he punched a woman, but he openly addressed the topic of borderline-personality disorder.
"The turmoil on and off the field really hit home with me," Marshall said of the disorder with which he was diagnosed. "The foundation, Project Borderline, that's our mission ... to use my family's experiences to educate."
"This is the perfect time to show everyone the progress I have made," he said.
But he comes to town with some off-the-field challenges.
Over the weekend, Marshall was accused of being involved in a fight between two football players. His lawyer refuted the story, saying Marshall was trying to get his wife out of the club after she was hit in the face with a bottle.
Marshall said Friday during a press-style welcome at Halas Hall he looks forward to the time when the legal process in the matter has run its course and when "my wife and I will be shown in a light that we should be."
"Given my history, I definitely understand the concern and the questions," he said, "but there's not much I can go into with that."
Marshall spent a majority of the morning Q&A session talking about his mental disorder and touting Project Borderline. He also talked about the Dolphins and what he considers a failed mission to not have won a Super Bowl
"I'm truly sad to leave those guys because it was our mission every week and every year ... not only to win now, but to win now and always," he said. "To leave that mission not complete, it's not a good feeling. That community, they embraced me, showed me a lot of love, supported me."
He also expressed how important it is for him to work again with Jay Cutler and how their unspoken communication has continued where it left off in Denver.
"Right now, I'm talking to Jay and I'm not saying anything to him. We communicate without even talking. The body language, hand signals. It's something that you don't find easy."
Even with the weekend's reported club fight, General Manager Phil Emery has stuck up for the three-time Pro Bowler, saying Marshall showed courage in admitting his issues with borderline-personality disorder. Though he wasn't present Friday, Coach Lovie Smith has backed Marshall in the press too, saying he feels good about the wide-out joining the team.
Jay Cutler, who worked with Marshall in Denver, advised Chicagoans not to judge him just yet.
"I talked to Brandon yesterday, and I think he was bummed about it, the perception and everything, of him getting to Chicago and that being over his head," Cutler said Wednesday on the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN Chicago radio. "Let's not judge him quite yet."
Marshall echoed that Friday, asking Chicago to give him a chance.
"It's a dream," Marshall said of the opportunity. "I'm very excited. My family is very excited. We look forward to being an asset to this team and most importantly to the community."
