Ex-Patriot claims to be fans’ ‘most hated’ former player

Author Alex Barth

July 14th, 2021 9:21 AM

Which former Patriot do New England football fans like the least? If you asked around, you’d like get a number of answers. Some may say failed free agent signings including Adalius Thomas and Scott Chandler. Others may offer failed draft picks, like Chad Jackson and N’Keal Harry. There may even be some still holding resentment against good players who failed in key moments, such as Wes Walker and Asante Samuel.

It’s highly unlikely you’d hear the name ‘Cassius Marsh’ brought up. That is, unless you asked the man himself.

In case you don’t remember (and it has been a while), Marsh played nine games for the Patriots early in the 2017 season, after being acquired via trade from the Seattle Seahawks. He struggled to adapt to the Patriots’ defensive system, recording 19 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in that time. While his play wasn’t great, was it bad enough to make him public enemy No. 1 among New England football fans?

“Patriots fans hate me.” Marsh told Tom Segura of the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast. “I am probably one of the most hated former Patriots. Up there – Top five at least.”

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  Marsh believes it's not just his level of play during his tenure with the team that has drawn the ire of Patriots fans, but his constant bashing of the team since his departure. "Over there, nobody says anything publicly because they have won so many championships. So, you don’t want to upset the fan base because after you win a Super Bowl, you can get paid for signings in New England for the rest of your life because you’re a Super Bowl champ."
  
  During the interview, Marsh claimed his issues center on the team's culture. "The Patriot Way is extremely impressive...The work ethic over there, what they instill is pretty legendary," Marsh began. "But they also treat players like crap. You don’t have a lunch period. You get there and you have to make time to eat in between meetings. And they’re like five to ten-minute periods where I would literally go scoop food and put it in a cup and crush it real quick before I got to the next meeting. There’s no fun."
  
  This isn't he first time the "no fun" card has been played against Bill Belichick's Patriots. Eagles tackle Lane Johnson made similar comments - despite having never played for the Patriots - after Super Bowl LII. Members of the team including Devin McCourty turned around and mocked those comments after winning the franchise's sixth ring the following year.
  
  Basically, Marsh isn't happy the Patriots made him treat his job like...a job.

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  "Imagine you’re working like a 9 to 5, and like, everybody’s at a team meeting. And it’s almost in like a school assembly," Marsh recalled. "The dude who walks in is like the CEO and he’s like an old dude who you know just plays no games. So like when he walks in, it’s dead quiet. Like, everything stops. All phones get put away. All laughter, any type of little chit-chat, done."
  
  "So he walks in there and then he comes up to like a podium and he addresses the team for like 45 minutes to an hour every morning," Marsh continued. "He talks about the GM’s history, talks about the team’s history, talks about defensive, offensive coordinator’s history, the way that they used to run their defense, the way that they run their defense now, the history of all of the coaches...Super, super exciting to listen to him talk."
  
  The only place Marsh may have a legitimate gripe is with his usage in New England. At the time, he was often asked to cover running backs on pass patterns - something he hadn't done much before but the Patriots were into having their defensive ends do at the time.
  
  "They asked me to do a bunch of stuff that I had never done: covering running backs and receivers and basically almost never rushing the passer, which is what I did in playing defensive line," he explained. "I confronted [Belichick] about all the things that were going on. I won’t get into detail, but it was B.S. things they were doing. I just wasn’t a fan."

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  Openly criticizing the Patriots has become somewhat of a regular occurrence for Marsh, who is currently on his seventh team (the Pittsburgh Steelers) in the last four years. The 29-year-old claims the comments have been quite popular, saying "players like thanked me for making it public on how bad they treat guys."
  
  It's no secret that the Patriot Way isn't for everybody. Playing in New England takes a certain kind of mental makeup, as many players have pointed out in the past. Yet for Marsh, it appears that his inability to adapt to the system has become personal.
  
  While the image of Kareem Hunt blowing by Marsh in the 2017 season opener isn't the most enjoyable highlight for Patriots fans to see, it's hardly a point focus. The team has been to two Super Bowls since, winning one.
  
  Despite his claims, it's up for debate whether or not Marsh is in Patriots fans' heads. But his constant bashing of the team and their fans proves one thing - they're still in his.

MORE: Offensive line training camp preview

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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