Martellus Bennett - Pro Football Rumors

This Date In Transactions History: Patriots Claim Martellus Bennett

November 12th, 2021 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago, tight end Martellus Bennett dominated the pages of Pro Football Rumors. Bennett left the Patriots and joined the Packers in the spring of 2017, agreeing to a three-year, $21MM deal. After little in the way of production and lots of drama, the Packers dropped him in the middle of the season. The Patriots swooped in to claim him from the Packers, who had already paid out about $8MM to the tight end.

The Packers claimed that Bennett failed to disclose his lingering rotator cuff injury. Bennett, meanwhile, said that he noted the issue every week on his medical survey from the team. When the Packers put him on the waiver wire, Bennett hoped that he would go unclaimed, giving him time to recuperate.

“It’s not about, ‘Could you play?’ It’s, ‘Should you play?’ It was one of those things,” Bennett said. “Right now, I’m just like, (expletive) it. At first, I told my agent to tell no teams to claim me because I was still trying to get the surgery. So when Bill (Belichick) called and said they claimed me, I was like, ‘No (expletive) way.’ ”

It was a big (expletive) surprise for Bennett, who circled back to the Pats just months after helping them defeat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. The Patriots — with knowledge of his injury — passed him on his physical, allowing him to suit up against the Broncos on Nov. 12, 2017.

Unfortunately, the second stint wasn’t as impactful as the first. Bennett was placed on IR a couple weeks later with shoulder and hamstring injuries. Then, in the 2018 offseason, the Pats released him, and the tight end subsequently retired from football. Bennett left the game at the age of 31, though he reportedly lobbied the Pats to bring him back once they acquired his older brother, Michael Bennett. That didn’t happen, so Bennett walked away with his Super Bowl ring, 4,500+ career yards, and plenty of cash for retirement, since the Packers lost their arbitration battle for his bonus.

Extra Points: Mathieu, Texans, Bucs, Bennett, Bears

March 11th, 2019 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like the Texans tried to keep Tyrann Mathieu before he ultimately signed with the Chiefs. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo tweets that Houston offered the safety a long-term deal that would have paid him around $9.5MM per season.

The reporter notes that the Texans and Chiefs were bidding for Mathieu until the end, and Houston’s final offer was close to Kansas City’s. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that the organization was (and, presumably, is) “willing to spend liberally” on a veteran safety, and both general manager Brian Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien wanted to keep Mathieu.

The safety ended up inking a three years worth $42MM with the Chiefs. The Texans have reportedly shifted their focus to other safeties, including Earl Thomas.

Let’s take a look at some additional notes from around the NFL…

Besides a safety, McClain notes that the Texans are also hunting for a pass-rushing “inside player.” The team could ultimately look towards the draft if nothing solidifies during free agency.
The Buccaneers reached out to linebacker Deone Bucannon, reports Greg Auman of The Athletic (via Twitter). The 26-year-old had spent his entire career with the Cardinals, and he started all of his 41 games between 2015 and 2017. He took a bit of a step back in 2018, compiling 38 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 13 games (six starts). The linebacker played with new Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians during their stints in Arizona.
Following the Patriots‘ acquisition of Michael Bennett, there were some rumblings that his brother, tight end Martellus Bennett, would come out of retirement and return to New England. However, the Patriots’ new acquisition poured some water on the rumors this evening, saying that the whispers of Martellus coming out of retirement were “fake news” (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). After winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2016, the tight end split the 2017 season between New England and Green Bay.
The Bears are expecting a pair of defensive backs to go elsewhere this offseason. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that safety Adrian Amos is “close to having a deal in place elsewhere,” and it sounds like the team is already eyeing potential replacements. Meanwhile, Biggs notes that cornerback Bryce Callahan won’t be back with the Bears after they signed veteran Buster Skrine.
Before agreeing to a deal with the Broncos, safety Kareem Jackson was hoping he’d be back in Houston. However, the veteran didn’t receive a whole lot of interest from the Texans, leading to the player feeling “a little disrespected.” “They didn’t even approach me with an offer or any type of deal,” Jackson told Mark Berman of KRIV (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “Obviously, they didn’t want me back or whatever the case may be. I’m not really sure. My agent was never approached by anybody from the Texans organization, so I wasn’t offered a deal of any sort. I kind of feel a little disrespected to be honest about it. At the end of the day, no hard feelings. I had a great nine years here. This will always be home for me. I definitely appreciate all the memories and all the opportunities. I appreciate the fans and everything I was able to build here. I’ll always have love for Houston.”

Martellus Bennett Wants To Rejoin Patriots

March 8th, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

In March of 2018, Martellus Bennett announced his retirement. In an understandable development, given Friday’s events, the tight end wants to backtrack on that decision.

After the Patriots agreed to trade for his older brother, Michael Bennett, Martellus Bennett is eyeing a return to the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The brothers have always wanted to be on the same NFL team, per Schefter, and Martellus enjoyed two stints with Patriots teams — the most recent coming in 2017.

Teammates at Texas A&M in the 2000s, Martellus was a second-round pick in 2008. Despite being more than a year older, Michael did not begin his NFL career until 2009, doing so as a UDFA. But it’s the latter who has been the more productive NFLer, at least over the past several seasons.

Martellus enjoyed an eventful final season, threatening retirement after joining the Packers as a free agent. Green Bay waived him months after he’s signed there, ending a controversial Wisconsin stay, before the Patriots reacquired him. Martellus’ second Patriots stay was not as productive, with the well-traveled tight end only playing in two games for the Pats during the 2017 season. He finished that year on IR.

In 2016, however, he played a vital role, replacing the injured Rob Gronkowski as New England’s top tight end for the stretch run. The Patriots have a need at tight end again, having released Dwayne Allen and with Gronkowski yet to inform them if he’s returning for a 10th season. But it’s uncertain at this point if the team wants to pair the Bennetts. The Pats obviously have a recent history of this, having used the McCourty brothers to help secure their sixth Super Bowl title.

Martellus Bennett Announces Retirement

March 23rd, 2018 at 7:43pm CST by Ryan Posner

Tight end Martellus Bennett announced on his Twitter account (link) that’s he’s “moving on” from football after a 10-year career in the NFL. Though Bennett never used the word “retire” in his Twitter post, he confirmed in to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero that he is retiring from the league.

“I’ve decided to move on from the world of football and into the fantastical and wondrous world of creativity,” Bennett said in a Twitter message. “I’m beginning what I believe to be my life’s work.”

In a mid-season Instagram post while with the Packers, Bennett said he anticipated this past season would be his last. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported last month that Bennett intended on returning for the 2018 season.

Bennett, 31, appeared in seven games for the Packers last season before being waived and picked up by the Patriots. The Patriots released Bennett earlier this month after he ended the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He totaled 30 catches for 286 yards receiving without a touchdown catch this past season between his time with the Packers and Patriots.

The Cowboys originally took Bennett in the second round of the 2008 draft out of Texas A&M. He spent four years with the Cowboys before playing a season with the Giants and then four with the Bears. Bennett’s Pro Bowl campaign came with the Bears in 2014 when he tallied career highs in receptions (90) and receiving yards (996) while catching six touchdowns. He had appeared in at least 14 games in eight of his first nine seasons before appearing in just nine last year.

It’s been an eventful day for the Bennett family. Earlier Friday, Michael Bennett was indicted on felony charges in Texas for his involvement in an incident at NRG Stadium during Super Bowl LI.

Patriots Made Best Offer For Bennett?

March 8th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michael Bennett is preparing to trek to Philadelphia and join the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Eagles’ most recent opponent made a strong push to bring the defensive end to New England.

The Patriots are believed to have made a last-ditch effort to acquire Bennett from the Seahawks, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports they did so after the team had essentially completed their deal with the Eagles.

It’s unclear precisely what the Patriots offered, but it’s believed to have been better than the fifth-round pick/Marcus Johnson package the Seahawks will receive from the Eagles. Diana Russini of ESPN reported on Wednesday a third team stalled this deal, and the Patriots — one of a few additional teams interested in Bennett — look to have been the team that did so.

However, the Seahawks did not want to go back on a verbal agreement with the Eagles. The sides finalized the trade on Tuesday morning, per Rapoport. And Martellus Bennett, whom the Patriots are cutting, was ready to reduce his salary to help make room for his brother, Rapoport reports.

“The Bennett brothers were going nuts trying to get it somehow so they could play together on the Patriots,” Rapoport said during an appearance on NFL Up to the Minute. “I know Martellus Bennett was talking about taking less salary, trying to stick around so the Patriots could then trade for his brother. … Now, from what I am told, this was basically done, a done deal between the Seahawks and Eagles. Then the Patriots came in late and said ‘Well, maybe we’ll give you this’ — a little bit better draft-pick compensation.

“The problem was the deal was basically already done. … The Seahawks are honorable people and they did the deal that was basically consummated earlier.”

So, rather than deal with their Super Bowl XLIX opponent, the Seahawks opted to send the 32-year-old defensive end to a conference team, thus denying the Bennett brothers a chance to play on the same team for the first time since their days at Texas A&M.

The Patriots did manage to increase their sack numbers last season compared to their 2016 effort, but Bennett would have provided a clear upgrade for a team that’s steadily seen some core edge components stripped.

Patriots To Release Martellus Bennett

March 7th, 2018 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Big changes are on the horizon for both Bennett brothers. The Patriots are releasing tight end Martellus Bennett, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The move will create about $6MM in salary cap space for New England, bringing their total cap space up around $23MM. That flexibility is hugely important for the Pats as they explore new deals for tackle Nate Solder and wide receiver Danny Amendola.

Bennett was due a $2MM roster bonus on March 14, putting the Pats in a tough position. Although he is immensely talented, Bennett did very little for the Packers (who were burned on an expensive free agent deal) and Pats in 2017.

Bennett will garner plenty of attention on the open market, but questions persist about his commitment to football and his abrupt exit from New England. For his part, Bennett wants to continue playing in 2018.

Bennett, who turns 31 on Saturday, had a great year for the Patriots in 2016, tallying 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns.

NFC Notes: Saints, Mathieu, 49ers, Packers

March 3rd, 2018 at 11:19am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints may be in the market for some offensive skill players, but it sounds like they’re going to avoid one of the top trade options. Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes that the team will not make a trade for Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry.

The writer notes that the team expressed interest in the wideout during the combine this past week. Considering the Saints would have to give up assets in a trade and tolerate his franchise tag ($16MM), the team ultimately decided that it would cost too much to add a “luxury” piece to their core. The team is already rostering offensive playmakers like Michael Thomas, Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and Ted Ginn Jr.. However, Katzenstein believes the Saints will ultimately be in the market for a free agent wide receiver or tight end.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora tweets that he’d be surprised if safety Tyrann Mathieu was back with the Cardinals next season. The 25-year-old had a tongue-in-cheek reply to the tweet, asking “anybody gonna tell me anything?” Mathieu started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2017, finishing with 78 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions. The safety’s cap hit in 2018 will exceed $14MM.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner has some additional details (via Twitter) on Garry Gilliam‘s new contract with the 49ers. In 2018, the offensive lineman will earn a $1.75MM base salary, along with a $400K roster bonus. Gilliam can also earn up to $500K in per-game bonuses and another $50K via a workout bonus, all leading to a $2.45MM cap hit. In 2019, the cap number jumps to $5.05MM, but only $1.5MM of his $4.5MM base salary is guaranteed for injury only.
Earlier this week, we learned that an arbitrator had ruled against the Packers in their effort to recoup a portion of Martellus Bennett‘s $6.3MM signing bonus. Writing for the team’s website, CEO Mark Murphy said the team plans on appealing the decision. “We think the decision was flawed and plan to appeal,” Murphy wrote. “The appeals go to a panel of three arbitrators.” The CEO told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that the team “lost their bid to recoup signing bonus money in part because the Patriots claimed Bennett off waivers and therefore picked up his contract.”

Packers Won’t Recoup Bennett’s Bonus

February 27th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

An arbitrator has ruled against the Packers in their effort to recoup a portion of Martellus Bennett‘s $6.3MM signing bonus, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. Because the Packers waived Bennett and his contract was assumed by another team (the Patriots), the arbitrator deemed that Green Bay is unable to recover the money given to the tight end at the time of signing.

The Packers, with the support of the league office, argued that Bennett should refund his signing bonus because he had not disclosed a pre-existing shoulder injury to the team last year. Even Bennett did keep his rotator cuff tear under wraps, the Packers did not have a clear path to get their money back after the Pats assumed his deal.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what the Patriots will do with the contract that they hold with Bennett. The veteran only played in two games for the Patriots before landing on IR, but he is reportedly intent on playing in 2018. His contract calls for a $6.2MM cap hit this year and the Patriots must pay him a $2MM roster bonus if he’s still on the team on March 14.

Patriots’ Bennett Wants To Continue Playing

February 23rd, 2018 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Last year, tight end Martellus Bennett told the Packers that he was planning on retiring after the season. As a result, the Packers released Bennett midway through the year, paving the way for the Patriots to claim him. The change of scenery has apparently changed his plans as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that Bennett wants to continue playing.

Whether the Patriots will seek to move forward with him, however, is unclear. Bennett is due a $2MM roster bonus on March 14, so New England may look to cut bait before that date. Meanwhile, his $6.2MM cap hit isn’t exorbitant and could be worthwhile if he is healthy and fully committed to football.

Bennett had a great year for the Patriots in 2016, hauling in 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Packers, he didn’t deliver after signing a three-year, $21MM deal with them in free agency. In seven games, he had just 24 receptions, 233 yards, and zero touchdowns. Some in Green Bay believed that Bennett starting phoning it in after Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone, which led the team to bail on him in November. The Patriots had Bennett on the field for two weeks before having to place him on IR.

The Patriots need to make two determinations. The first is whether Bennett is able to play and wants to play. If the answer to both is yes, the second is taking a guess at his free agent value. If the Pats see Bennett getting less than $6.2MM on the open market – which is quite possible since the perception is that he quit on the Packers – there could be room to negotiate.

Packers Attempting To Recoup Martellus Bennett Signing Bonus

November 30th, 2017 at 6:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Less than a month after cutting Martellus Bennett, the Packers are attempting to recover some of the signing bonus they paid the then-coveted tight end in free agency.

The Packers filed paperwork to reclaim $4.2MM of Bennett’s $6.3MM signing bonus on Thursday, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. They waived Bennett with a “Failure to Disclose a Physical Condition” designation, leading to this decision — one that was in the works. Bennett’s bonus was to be spread over the life of his three-year, $21MM deal, creating the $4.2MM figure now in dispute.

Bennett alleged the Packers were well aware of his shoulder problem, reportedly a torn rotator cuff, dating back to when he signed. He said it worsened while in Green Bay and criticized a team doctor for convincing him to put off a surgery he reportedly was told by independent physicians he needed. Other Packers, present and past, came to Dr. Pat McKenzie’s defense, and Clay Matthews — per Demovsky — said he and his teammates “got a good laugh” when Bennett suited up for the Patriots during his first game back with them after sitting out that previous Monday with the Packers because of the shoulder malady.

The 30-year-old tight end is now on IR after suffering a hamstring injury, and he will undergo shoulder surgery. Bennett passed a Patriots physical, and the league office didn’t have any issues with how the pass-catcher’s team change went down.

The NFLPA is aware of this situation, Demovsky reports, adding an arbitrator is expected to review this matter before next season because of salary cap purposes.

The Packers could have gone after Bennett’s entire bonus, but Demovsky notes him playing in seven games with Green Bay makes only seeking the remaining $4.2MM a stronger case. With Bennett’s bonus on their books, the Packers are projected to have more than $43MM in cap space in 2018. Bennett said earlier this season he was considering retirement at its conclusion.