The Chiefs contemplated putting in a waiver claim for tight end Martellus Bennett after he was cut by the Packers last week, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
“We looked at that as a potential (move),” head coach Andy Reid said. “(But) he’s in a good place. It worked out good for him.”
Bennett, of course, was eventually claimed by the Patriots, but his presence in Kansas City would have been an interesting proposition. Like New England, the Chiefs boast one of the league’s best tight ends (Travis Kelce), so Bennett wouldn’t have been an immediate starter. More likely, he would’ve taken the role of third-stringer Ross Travis , who’s played only 70 total snaps in 2017, joining Demetrius Harris as Kelce’s backups.
Bennett’s salary wouldn’t have been a problem for the Chiefs in 2017, as any club could have absorbed the remainder of Bennett’s $900K base. But Bennett’s 2018 salary would have almost certainly led Kansas City to release Bennett before the start of next season, as the Chiefs currently project to have fewer than $2MM in 2018 cap space.
Reid didn’t elaborate on Kansas City’s decision to not place a claim on Bennett, but the club likely had reservations about Bennett’s injured shoulder. The Patriots were the only team to put a claim in on Bennett, but the NFL doesn’t plan to investigate the veteran tight end’s reunion with New England.