New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall has claimed that the relationship between NFL players and local media outlets is an "epidemic" and insists that there is too much access to clubs and players.

There have been several incidents in the past few weeks of players expressing their frustration at media reports, most notably Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant reportedly going on a locker room tirade due to an article written and comments allegedly made by a national broadcaster.

Marshall, a 10th-year NFL veteran, criticised the access that the media gets within the sport and said that he feels for young football players because of the pressure that they are consequently being put under.

The 31-year-old told Inside the NFL: "We have an epidemic right now and the epidemic is the clash between our local media and our players. In fact, I struggle with it at times.

"I personally think that the media has too much access. Let's face it, we get out the shower and there are 10, 15, 20 reporters standing there looking at you waiting to ask you a question while you are getting dressed. I think that it is too much, I think that we are put in tough positions, and I think that we need to figure this thing out.

"My biggest issue is that we have young players who are not trained to handle the difficult conversation. We put them in a hostile environment - how do we think that they are going to respond? So for me, I think that the teams and the NFL's job is to protect the players. And I question if we are doing that by giving them so much access, especially right after a game or every single day."

Marshall is in his 10th NFL season with his fourth franchise after joining Jets this year following previous spells with Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.