Did Martellus Bennett quit on the Packers after Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone? That was the feeling in Green Bay, according to one source who spoke with Ryan Wood of USA Today. Wood also indicates that the Packers took Bennett’s decision to retire after the season as a sign that he was already checked out and that may have led the team to release him here in November.
Bennett, one of the most sought-after free agents of the offseason, is now available for any team to claim off of waivers. It is expected that he will go unclaimed, but teams may consider signing him once he is available as a free agent.
While we wait to see how that plays out, here’s from around the NFL:
- NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart says contract negotiations with commissioner Roger Goodell have been “productive [and] amicable” and he expects “that they’ll be wrapped up soon,” (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today). Lockhart also noted that owners voted, 32-0, to authorize the compensation committee to negotiate a five-year contract extension with Goodell (Twitter link via Mark Maske of The Washington Post). Of course, that unanimous vote includes Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who is reportedly threatening to sue the NFL over the pending Goodell deal. Goodell is said to be “furious” about Jones’ actions, but Lockhart tells reporters that is not the case.
- Colin Kaepernick attorney Mark Geragos will have the leeway to ask NFL owners about a great deal in the collusion case, as detailed by Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. His line of questioning could include past high-profile disciplinary cases including the Ezekiel Elliott investigation, Deflategate, and Ray Rice. Meanwhile, those in the know like retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Lichtman (now one of the top arbitrators in California) say that Geragos is a force to be reckoned with.
- The NFL says that Kaepernick recently declined an invite to meet one-on-one with Goodell, but Geragos says that’s not the case (link via Robinson). “We responded immediately [to the Oct. 31 invite] that Colin would be happy to attend,” Geragos said of a personal meeting with Goodell. “Because of the grievance we asked that a mediator be present. A mediator would ensure that the discussions were productive and confidential and not used as a public relations stunt or prop by the league. Colin’s proposal was rejected.” Lockhart, meanwhile, says the lawyer’s claim is “disingenuous.”
“A mediator would ensure that the discussions were productive and confidential and not used as a public relations stunt or prop by the league.”
Really? The league would be happy to see him and his nonsense just go away and no more publicity from his camp who has done nothing but look for publicity stunts.
The sport has turned into a circus. Look at all the news reports that come out every week. Few are about football. It’s Goodell’s $40M+ salary extension. It’s Kap and his protests. It’s not standing for the flag. It’s about how bad the ratings are. It’s about head trauma. It’s about Zeke’s appeals. It’s about Jerry Jones being pissed off. It’s about players getting suspended. Total joke of a league these days…
Best summary of the 2017 season. As a Chiefs fan i will never remember the fabulous 5-0 start. I will always remember the year of the “oppressed “ millionaires ruined the NFL.
Also completely agree with this. Not going to pick one side or another on any one issue, but boy do both sides on every issue know how to whine and not focus on actually playing the game. It’s sort of like they enjoy the attention they’re getting, even if it’s negative.